


Head Over Boots

by doveofpeace9910



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Desert, F/F, New Mexico, New York City, Opposites Attract, Out of Character, Slow Burn, Storybrooke (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:27:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21612226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doveofpeace9910/pseuds/doveofpeace9910
Summary: 100% OOC/semi slow burn: Regina is a global developer for a huge company in New York. Her boss, Mr. Gold gives Regina an assignment requiring her to go to the remote city Storybrooke, New Mexico, where the closest town is 2 hours away. She is arranged to stay with a local farmer, Emma Swan since the town has no hotels close to where she needs to be. Romance ensues. *RATED M FOR LATER CHAPTERS*
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 12
Kudos: 211





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had an idea for a story so I hope you like it! I will try to post 3 chapters at a time. I really love this story idea so please let me know what you think! It's completely different from what you typically read of SQ, so I hope you all enjoy this little semi-slow burn.

Regina Mills was your typical corporate goon. She worked for a development company in New York City, NIYAglobal. She was the best business consultant in the city, and her boss, Robert Gold loved her for it. He was obsessed with power and money hungry was an understatement. He could turn straw into gold like Rumplestiltskin. His way to influence others with his words was uncanny; very similar to Regina's. You could say they ruled NIYAglobal.

Regina loved the city life; her nice things, her penthouse apartment, her morning coffee order at Starbucks. She worked effortlessly in life to get where she is today, on top; Vice President. All through hard work; something her deceased mother told her when she was a teenager. She dreamed of having a family one day, but now was not the time, since if she did, they would be severely neglected, and that was something she most certainly did not want. On the weekends, she was usually working at home on a development plan with a glass of wine. You could say she was a workaholic. Whenever she did have time to herself, she was usually sleeping or at the gym. Her life never seemed to have a stop button; she couldn't even remember when the last time she had a vacation.

At 7:15 Monday morning, she readied herself for work. A black Versace power suit, her short dark hair styled perfectly, and flawless make-up applied. The brunette took great pride in her looks, knowing she looked good in just about anything. She walked into her office at precisely 8:30, with her skinny white chocolate mocha in hand. She had just sat down when Mr. Gold walked in, making himself comfortable in the seat in front of her desk. Regina chuckled at him, "Good morning Gold, you know I have a meeting in ten minutes right?"

"I've moved your meeting to Julia's. I have a much bigger proposition for you." he smirked.

Taken aback, Regina lifted a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"Have you ever heard of a small town called Storybrooke?" when she didn't respond, he nodded knowingly, lacing his hands together, pointing both index fingers into his chin. "I assumed. It is the smallest town in the country in New Mexico, with a population of 543. the closest city is Albuquerque and that is about two hours away. And you," he pointed his fingers towards her smiling so brightly is caused Regina's amber eyes to skyrocket. "Are going to go there!" he clapped his hands standing. "First thing tomorrow! Here is your flight information, tickets, where you'll be staying. The whole nine yards."

"Wait, wait, wait!" She hollard, jumping to her feet. "Now, hold on just a moment, why the hell would I go to the middle of nowhere?! To this, this, Storybrooke?! What is it that you want me to do? I have clients Gold! You can't just expect me to drop everything and fly to New Mexico!"

The slender, long haired man snickered with delight. "You can, and you will. I've already taken care of your clients, personally." Regina was utterly slack jawed. "You are going to build me some cabins near a lake called Lake Sumner. It's the desert, but the lake is perfect for fishing, kayaking, hiking, sightseeing. I've already spoken to the national park director and he is allowing me to build near the park for more tourism." Gold was talking at a fast pace, which meant his mind was already made up and there was no changing his mind.

"How long is this going to take?" she dared to asked hesitantly.

"A year." he stated bluntly.

"WHAT?!" she screamed. "You want me to stay out there for A YEAR?!" This had to be a nightmare. Regina had worked remotely before, but never in the middle of nowhere. Never for a year. The longest she had ever worked on a project was six months, but that was in Guam. She didn't mind staying there. "How did you even find this place?! Were you bored and Googled 'America's smallest city'?"

Gold grinned like the cat ate the canary, knowing damn well it was exactly what he did. "Look, I know I'm asking a lot of you, but if you do this for me, I will give you a raise and a bonus." Regina's eyes softened. Even though her boss was money hungry, he was always loyal and very good to Regina. She knew she deserved both of those things; even though she didn't need the money, she deserved it. She had been a loyal employee for five-teen years and damn good at her job.

With a sigh of defeat, Regina agreed. "Fine. What's the name of the hotel I'll be staying at?" The question caused the man to howl in laughter. The population of the city came flooding back to her, 543…there has to be a motel, she thought.

"Oh no dearie, you will be staying with the locals. Her name is Emma Swan. She is a farmer so she won't get in your way. I was trying to set up for you to stay closer to the lake, but that is even more remote than where you are going. There is literally nothing but farmland and desert. The city next to Lake Sumner is even more rundown so you will be staying in Storybrooke, which is about thirty minutes from the lake."

Regina's face went from her normal beautiful olive tone, to ghost white. "A stranger? You're making me stay with a stranger?!"

"She is the only one who has Wi-Fi in that town, so yes. Sheriff David, her brother, recommended her. He will be picking you up from the airport tomorrow afternoon."

"And pray tell what does he look like so I won't be lost."

"I have no idea. But, you won't be lost dearie, he will have a sign with your name on it when you get to baggage claim."

"Fantastic." she stated blankly.

"Your flight leaves at 6:30am. I booked you first class so you can have all the champagne you desire." this made the brunette sigh in relief. "You should get to Albuquerque around noon. Here's everything you need to know." He slapped a thick vanilla folder onto her desk. "Your plane tickets are in there as well. Now, I suggest you go home to pack." He smiled wickedly yet sincerely at her.

When she returned to her apartment, she grabbed her two Coach suitcases, the largest one's she could find and began packing almost all of her belongings. She didn't know what she needed and what she didn't need going to a podunk town. She wanted to be prepared. Regina even packed two of her pillows.

By the time she was done packing, she finally decided to look at the folder her boss gave her. Still unbelieving that he was doing this to her. It must have been a sick joke to him. But the raise, she knew that was going to be a hell of a raise and the bonus that came with it; she saw dollar signs. Sucking up her pride, she opened the folder filled with pictures and the cabin blueprints he designed weren't bad. They were rustic, yet luxurious. The lake wasn't as great as she hoped it would be, but it would suffice for what it would be used for. The scenery was beautiful, she had to say. Nothing like she had ever seen before. Once finished looking over the folder, it was almost five. She poured herself a glass of vintage Cabernet and drew herself a nice hot bubble bath. As she lay in the tub soaking she said aloud, "Well, this will be the last time I will enjoy luxury for a while. So, I better enjoy this now while I can." Then remembering promptly that she wouldn't be alone for the year. "Or my privacy." She sighed heavily and sank further into her clawfoot tub with her wine. _The desert_ _can't be that bad,_ she thought to herself _; how bad could it possibly be?_


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning, Regina found comfort in her first class seat on JetBlue airlines, ordering a mimosa as soon as she saw a flight attendant. By the time the flight took off, she had down three glasses. After the fourth, she told the stewardess to just bring her a bottle of the finest champagne, no matter the cost. She had to praise Gold when she had the chance. This was nice. The complimentary amenity kit she received was nice and the TV was even better. She doubted that Storybrooke even had cable, giggling to herself wondering if the locals even knew what a TV was.

By the time the plane landed, Regina had dosed off and was slightly hungover. She still had a good bit of champagne left, finally realizing it was Dom Perignon, she refused to leave it on the plane. She stuffed it into her Luis Vuitton purse, put on her Coach glasses and wobbly made her way off the plane. Her head began to pound as she realized how bright is was outside. To her surprise, it wasn't has hot as she thought it would be. The air was dry and crisp. Vaguely remembering that Gold had printed out a 10-day weather report for the week. Mid 70's, she remembered seeing. Not bad for March, she thought.

Once to baggage claim, she began looking for this Sheriff David and his sign. She had to repress a laugh once she saw him. He was in a beige uniform with a cowboy hat. He was looking around with a grin on his face, unaware of what Regina looked like, looking friendly and eager to meet who he was picking up. She didn't give herself away right away, she grabbed her bags and slowly made her way to the Sheriff. As he realized his guest was heading his way, his face lit up. "You must be Regina Mills?" he outstretched his hand, "I'm David Swan, it's a pleasure to meet you ma'am." Dear God.

"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you as well Sheriff David." she strained. "Please forgive my appearance, I had a little too much to drink on the plane." When Regina got a good look at him, she realized he was quite handsome. Bright blue eyes, easy smile, nice build; maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. Regina regarded her sexuality as bisexual, but it had been a five years since her last serious relationship.

"Please, call me David. Let me get those for you ma'am! You've had a long flight." He lifted her bags and placed one over his shoulder and the other he held onto in the other hand. "Wow, you must have packed your entire closet!" He laughed. "Right this way Ms. Mills." Regina could hardly remember the last time someone had ever been this nice to her. No one in New York in their right minds would ever talk or act like this. It was a miracle if someone ever held the door open for you. However, this man was a true gentleman. It was refreshing yet strange.

They reached his two door Chevy pick up truck, placing Regina's bags in the bed of the truck. He thought the woman was going to have a stroke the way she gasped. "Be careful with those! Are my bags going to get dirty in there?!" she screeched.

David chuckled as he pulled the bed cover and locked it into place. "I just washed my baby, she's all clean for ya." He walked over to the passenger door and opened it for her. "Your fancy bags are going to be just fine, ma'am."

As Regina stepped in the truck, placing her purse in her lap, not trusting the clean floor. "You know, you don't have to keep calling me ma'am David. Regina works just fine." she stated flatly. It wasn't on purpose, it was just the way she spoke.

David grinned as he closed the door, walking around to his side, starting the engine. "Sorry, it's a habit; but I will warn you, just about everyone who's anyone will call you ma'am. It's just how we speak here." Regina just hummed in response. They were quiet for a whole five-teen minutes before David spoke again. "So tell me ma-Regina, what's the big city like in New York? How long have you lived there?"

She really wasn't in the mood for conversation, but answered nonetheless. "Oh, you know, a concrete jungle. People everywhere. Basically what you see in movies or in TV shows is accurate." She sighed, missing New York already. "I've lived there my entire life."

"I can't imagine living there. Too much going on." David smiled. "We're pretty simple around here. You'll come to find that out over time. Especially my sister Emma, who you're staying with."

"Speaking of, I know nothing about her, would you inform me a little about her?" Regina was genuinely curious. "I'm not used to staying with people when I travel for work."

David's face lit up once more. "Sure! Emma is my little sister. She lives alone in our parent's home. It's a two story house on 2.5 acres of land. She keeps busy with the animals and the farm. Our parents passed away a few years ago, but they left the house in her name. she hasn't really been the same since their deaths."

"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss. How did they pass, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Old age." he stated simply. "She was really close to our dad until she came out of the closet. He basically disowned her until she left for college. When she heard the news that mom was getting close to dying, she came home immediately. With old age, he had gotten dementia, forgetting she even told him." with a heavy sigh, he continued. "They passed away in their sleep, like in The Notebook. Emma took it hard and dropped out of college, focusing on the farm."

Regina could hardly believe a complete stranger was just spilling all his sisters life to her. She also couldn't comprehend that either she would be staying with a lesbian. If she were being honest with herself, she didn't think gay people existed outside of the city. It was a silly thing to think, but it's what she thought. Not that she cared, but it was still shocking nonetheless. "That must've been very hard. How is she now?"

"Oh, she's much better now. She's at peace with it, but she used to be the adventurous one of the two of us. Wanting to travel all over the country, sneaking out when we were teenagers, a little rebellious even." she snickered. "She just works herself to the bone now. But I think you two will get along just fine. You both seem like workaholics and Emma likes her privacy, which is something your boss Mr. Gold reminded me of, which is why I recommended you stay with her. Everyone else here would be way too outgoing and never leave you alone to get any work done."

"Well, thank you for the recommendation." she smiled. "Has her sexual identity affected your relationship with her?"

"Not at all. She's the only family I have, and I wouldn't care if she had three heads and was blue. I'd love her no matter what. I just want to see her happy. I think she was in a relationship in college but it was short lived. I don't know much about that since she's pretty private. But, what about you? Are you married, seeing someone or living the single scene in the big apple?"

Regina chuckled. "Work keeps me busy, so I hardly have anytime for a relationship."

"That's too bad, you're a pretty woman Ms. Mills. I'm sure any man would be happy to be with you."

"Well, I'm not as nice as I seem, so I hardly doubt that."

"Nah, you are. I can tell. You've got that special something about you."

It almost offended Regina to make such a presumptuous assumption about her, but she knew he didn't know better, so she let it be. She shook her head, which caused the conversation to stop. With no more small talk, her hangover quickly faded. She looked out the window and Robert was absolutely right. There was nothing around for miles. It was something out of a child's book almost. About an hour later, they drove by a dusty sign that read Storybrooke; Population 543. Regina shuttered at the sight of the middle of nowhere. It almost hurt her.

Not long after they passed the welcome sign, they were pulling up to a simple two story home with an old red Cadillac in the dirt driveway. "Welcome to your new home, Ms. Mills!" David exclaimed all too cheerful. He hopped out and yelled, "Emma! Your new roommate is here!" He unloaded his truck as Regina stepped out. "See, not a dirt or scratch on them Ms. Mills."

Regina rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Good."

"I'm going to bring these to your room, Emma should be around here somewhere. I'll be right back."

Before she had a chance to respond, he was strutting off. She walked slowly around, looking around. Noticing the awful sounds and smells of animals and dirt in the air. In the distance, she heard Johnny Cash coming from somewhere, and right then she could kill Gold. As she followed the music, it lead to a metal shed in the corner of the property. "There you are!" Which caused Regina to jump out of her skin. She quickly turned to Emma, almost losing her balance. "You must be Regina. I'm Emma Swan." At first Regina wanted to scream at her for scaring her the way she did, but Emma's smile made her heart skip a beat. The woman had long blonde hair that was in a ponytail, covered with a grey baseball cap with a wolf on it. She wore slightly dusted blue jeans and a white muscle shirt. She was slender and tone, something Regina was not at all prepared for.

"Yes. I'm Regina Mills." she reached her hand out hesitantly, worried where her hands had been.

Emma chuckled at the action, but taking her hand in hers, shaking it firmly. "They're clean." she stated, almost knowing what she was thinking. "So tell me, what's a big city girl doing in a small town like this? David told me, but I can't remember. It's been a long day." Regina grimaced at the word girl. She hadn't been called that since she was a teenager.

"My boss sent me here for a work assignment. We're going to be building cabins by Lake Sumner."

Emma's eyes lit up with genuine interest. "Really? That would be great." she folded her toned arms as she tilted her head towards the house insinuating her to follow. "We don't get much tourism around here. But we have an annual fall chili festival that would be great for us here if more folks came in."

"Well, my boss seems to think building these cabins would certainly increase property value and tourism."

Regina sighed as they entered the house. It really was as simple as Regina imagined, it was like stepping back in time to the 80s. The walls were an off white with wooden floors. Blue and white plaid curtains covered the windows, with pictures of family members and farm animal paintings. The kitchen was where they entered at, which opened up to the living room. The kitchen sink, refrigerator and stove were wall white and not modern at all. There wasn't even a dishwasher. The thought of having to wash her own dishes made her skin crawl. This was, after all, the 21st century and the dishwasher was by far her favorite appliance. Her distaste must have shown because Emma grinned. "I know this isn't what you're used to, but I promise you, this is the best house in town. It may not be much, but it's better than nothing." When Regina removed her sunglasses from her eyes, she could have sworn she heard Emma's breath hitch. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour."


	3. Chapter 3

As Emma gave her new house guest a tour, before heading upstairs to show her their rooms. She couldn't help but stare at the gorgeous woman that would be staying with her. She felt like she hit the jackpot, taking small glances at her body here and there without being too obvious. The two ran into David coming from the bathroom. "Ah, I see you've found each other." He smiled. "Your luggage is on your bed Regina, and as much as I'd love to stay, I've got to get back to the station. I've got a lot of paperwork to catch up on. I hope you two get along well." He hugged his sister then shook Regina's hand. "Y'all have a good day! See y'all later." He placed his hat on and headed down the stairs.

"He has to be the most polite person I've ever met." Regina stated flatly.

"Oh, that's nothing, you should meet his wife, Mary Margaret."

The brunette nearly choked on air. "MARY MARGARET?! THAT IS HER NAME?!"

This caused Emma to smile widely with a chuckle. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

Regina just laughed, really laughed, for the first time in a long time. "Wow, someone would be named that and live in a town like this. That's hilarious."

"I'm glad to know our little town amuses you, your majesty." Emma played. However, the title made the brunette quiver in the knees. Which Emma didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. "This here, is your room." there was a queen sized bed with a painted metal frame with a quilted cover. There wasn't much else to the room other than a white wooden dresser with an attached mirror. "I cleaned everything out of the closet for you. Your bathroom is down the hall on the left. My room is in the other direction. And as you're aware there is an half bath downstairs in the living room hallway." Regina walked towards the closet, opening it to find the smallest closet she had ever seen. There was no way all her clothes were going to fit in there. "A fun fact about this house is, it was built in the 70's so that's why everything is small. You see where we live, so there isn't much need for really anything extra."

"Jesus, how do you people do it?!" Regina halfway shouted. "This has to be the size of my linen closet back in New York!"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Welp, you're not in New York anymore Dorothy." Quoting The Wizard of Oz. The statement caused the brunette to turn sharply to her. "You're going to be here for a year. This is the best we can do for you. If you don't like it, you can go camping in a tent by the lake." Regina's eyes were through the roof. No one had ever spoken to her in such manner before. "Take it or leave it is what I say."

All Regina could do was gawk at her. She could not believe her attitude. "With an attitude like that, I could just leave." this made the blonde laugh.

"I'd love to see your royal majesty camp in a tent. You couldn't survive. Not to mention the snakes, spiders, wolves. That is funny! I'd pay great money to see that."

"I could go back to the city and rent a car." she said through gritted teeth.

"I'd like to know how you're going to get there without my help or David's." The brunette rushed over to the blonde, her eyes blown with anger, Emma's blue eyes mixed with annoyance and sarcasm just fueled her anger more. She desperately wanted to curse her out, but just as she was about to Emma put her finger over Regina's red lips. Causing the brunette's emotions to explode all over the place. She didn't know if she was even angrier, offended or turned on. "Look, I don't want to fight with you. Especially on the first day of meeting. I don't want to cause any trouble. You're welcome here and my food is better than any hotel room service. I can promise you that." she removed her finger from her lips. Emma knew another reason Regina was staying with her, other than the Wi-Fi, was because Emma was the only one in town who had ever been outside of Storybrooke. She went to college at the University of New Mexico, met people, even traveled out of the state with her friends a few times, which is way more than anyone else in this town could say. She knew how to handle 'city people'. Emma was aware of where she lived; it's what made her want to leave in the first place. However, over time she had come to miss her hometown and after her parents died, she realized she wanted to be nowhere else. "I'm sorry if I've offended you, I'm not used to people in my house. So I think we're both going to have to get used to being around each other. So, truce?" She stuck out her hand. When the amber eyes shifted from her hand to her eyes again, there was a light smile on Emma's face. "C'mon, I'll make it up to you with a delicious steak dinner." she sang. "I saw you had a bottle of champagne in your purse, we can share it." she continued. "I'll be your best friend."

Regina had enough of her sing song tone. "Fine! Truce!" she shook her hand hard as if she were concluding a business deal. "And I'll be the judge of your so claimed cooking skills."

"Oh, all the ladies love my cooking. You won't be sorry!" She wiggled her eyebrows. "I'll let you get unpacked and settled in. I've got a few more things to do then I'll get started on dinner."

When she left, she closed the door with her. Regina sat on the bed with a huff, laying down on the hard mattress. "Well, this is just great."

After a few hours, she had unpacked an entire one suitcase. There was no room for the other one. She placed her make-up and perfume on the dresser, all her bathroom belongings in her closet, and changed into something more comfortable. She wore a pair of skinny jeans with a navy NYU long sleeve. It was the most casual outfit she had ever worn. She hardly ever wore jeans, yet she packed nearly all of them. She headed downstairs to put her champagne in the fridge. Opening the simple appliance, to her surprise it was fully stocked with food. All fresh ingredients, homemade jams, eggs, milk, bread. She even saw the steaks Emma took out to defrost. She placed the bottle on the side door then her curiosity got the better of her; she opened the freezer. Her eyes went wide seeing all the frozen meats and some frozen fruits and vegetables. She pulled out a few, all labeled and dated. Regina took a breath of relief, knowing she had her own personal Whole Foods. She closed the freezer heading to the pantry. Upon opening it, it was stacked from top to bottom with canned mason jars filled with vegetables and fresh pickled goods, along with ristras of chilis, garlic and corn. There were two small barrels, one filled with potatoes, the other with onions. Regina had to admit, she was impressed. Cooking was her favorite past time, however, she hardly had time for it. She closed the pantry, humming in approval.

She then made her way to the living room, regarding the brown leather sofa, loveseat and matching rocking recliner. She glanced up at the wall, noticing the older pictures of who she assumed was Emma's parents. They all looked alike. Her mother had long blonde hair, blue eyes and a gentle smile. Her father could be David's twin, there was no denying it was his son. Then she came across more recent one's of them under the younger pictures. They aged gracefully, but her mother looked a lot happier than her father. He looked like a stern asshole. Gradually going down the hall towards the bathroom, there were even more pictures when the family was young, including a wild haired Emma and David running after a flock of chickens. This photo made Regina chuckle. She had been regarding it so intently, she didn't hear Emma walk up behind her. "You have a nice laugh." Once more, Regina jumped, holding a hand over her chest.

"JESUS CHRIST! You've got to stop doing that! You could be the Texas Chainsaw massacre killer!"

"Wouldn't you hear my chainsaw coming if that's who I was?" She smirked.

"Smartass."

"I know." she beamed. "I was a wild child. As you can see." she continued. "That is my mom, Ingrid and my dad James."

"David is his twin, that's for sure."

"I know right, it creeps me out sometimes." she chuckled. "But they are incredibly different. My dad was an asshole, and David is nothing of the sort."

"You've got that right. I don't think he has a mean bone in his body."

"He can have a temper, but it's so rare that he ever loses it. Do you have any siblings?"

Regina shook her head. "No, it's just me."

"What about a special someone?"

Regina chuckled. "Definitely not. I would have refused this project if I did."

Emma clicked her teeth. "That's too bad. Anyone would be lucky to have you. You're a true catch. Especially that mouth of yours."

Is she flirting with me? She repressed a blush. "Charming aren't you."

"Always." She smiled. "Well, I'm going to wash up, then get started on dinner. You're welcome to keep me company, but if you've got work to do I understand."

The brunette shook her head. "I'm getting started on that first thing tomorrow."

The blonde beamed with joy. "Great! I'll be out shortly." as she headed up the stairs, she continued. "If you hear music, that's coming from my room. I listen to music when I shower. I hope you like country." this made the brunette cringe hard. Of course she minded. She hated that genre. As she ascended, before she entered her bedroom, she heard the smart mouth women shout, "Oh, and by the way, your ass looks great in jeans! Hope you brought more!" the door clicked shut.

THE NERVE OF THAT WOMAN! She should be offended. She really should, but the way Emma carried herself and those toned, delicious arms, she couldn't deny that deep down she liked her banter and boldness.

After thirty minutes, Regina buried herself in a crossword puzzle on her phone, headphones in to block out that God awful music. She never understood country music. It was all about whiskey, horses, and heartbreak. It never changed and the same old twang made her annoyed. So, she was listening to her Spotify playlist, which composed of classic rock. At the moment she was listening to Stealers Wheel's 'Stuck in the Middle with you.' softly moving her head side to side to the rhythm.

Determined not to scare her guest again, Emma went straight to the kitchen. She couldn't help but think how adorable her guest was. Was she flirting with her? Yes. Emma had the best gaydar, so she knew her little house guest was into women. More than likely bisexual, but into women nevertheless; and she was into her. She saw how she checked her out when they met. With all the farm work, she got the best workout possible. If she were being honest with herself, Regina was the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on. Those hips did some things, and those lips, how she would love to kiss her high maintenance attitude into oblivion. Shaking her head, she turned on the stove, placing a cast iron skillet on the burner. She grabbed some butter, oiling the pan; once melted she placed each steak perfectly into the pan, seasoning them with salt, pepper, and garlic.

Once the smell hit Regina's nostrils, she removed her headphones, strutting to the table. "Do you need help with anything Miss. Swan?"

"Please, call me Emma." she chuckled. "And no, you're the guest. You sit and keep me company, however, you can take out that champagne." The brunette rolled her eyes. You didn't have to tell her twice, though. She grabbed the bottle as Emma placed two wine glasses on the table. She poured each an even amount. "Dom Perignon, huh? I've never had this before. I would say we should save it for a special occasion or something, but nothing interesting happens here. So, here's to you! Welcome to Storybrooke!" At the first sip, Emma nearly spit out the champagne, but forced it down. "Oh, you can keep that. That's horrible."

In utter shock, Regina poured the rest of the blonde's glass into hers. "You would, not like it."

"And you would." Emma shook. "I'm more of a whiskey and scotch drinker."

"Let me guess, Jack Daniels?"

Emma scoffed as she continued cooking. "No…" there was a long pause. "FINE! It's the only thing we've got in this town. The best is Jameson."

Regina shook her head. "NO, the best is Macallan 15 and up."

The blonde whistled. "Damn, that bottle is expensive. Do you own it?"

"Unfortunately, I only drink whiskey on occasion, so no. however, I've had it several times. Would you ever try it?"

"I'd try all of them if I had the money, but I'm a simple gal." she shrugged. "If I died tomorrow and didn't try any of it, I'd still die happy."

The brunette shook her head. That's a shame, she thought to herself. However, her and Emma came from completely different worlds. Damn near different universes. "That's very humble of you." she sipped her glass. "So tell me Emma, I heard you went to college, what did you study?"

"Agriculture, but I'm sure that doesn't surprise you does it?"

"It doesn't." she smirked. "But I admire you're doing what you seem to love."

"I do. I care a lot about food and wholesome food at that. The food industry is absolutely disgusting. I had to eat that awful ramen stuff for a while. All the preservatives and extra dyes," she shook her head. "it grosses me out. I grow everything I need right here. And if I need anything, I drive to another local farmer 20 miles up the road to get what I need."

"That's astonishing. You kind of remind me of someone who eats pizza, wings and beer."

There was that laugh again. "Oh, don't get me wrong, I love all those things, but I get it locally. I read the ingredients. However, I will say my weakness are chili cheese fries and a hot grilled cheese."

"Once more, I am not surprised. However, I admire your passion. I love whole foods as well."

"What's your favorite food? Wait! Don't tell me, a salad."

This time, Regina gave a throaty chuckle. "Yes, Cesar to be exact, but my guilty pleasure would have to be New York pizza and Chinese food." Regina moaned inwardly. "There's nothing like lo mein after a hangover or a long day in the office."

"There's a good Asian restaurant in the city. If you have the time, I'll have to take you. Their sushi is fantastic."

"I would love that!" she husked. "I love sushi!"

"It's a date then." Emma grinned. The tension in the room was thick. Too much for Regina, so she helped herself to a few large gulps. "Dinner's ready!"

The chit chat died down as they ate. "Mmm, this is good." Regina groaned. "Way better than room service."

"Told you."

"Are you always this cocky?"

"That is not cockiness you hear, m'lady, that is called confidence."

"You did not just call me that."

"I sure did. And you liked it."

"I did not."

"Then why are your cheeks red." Damn this woman!

"That's caused by the alcohol, darling."

"You keep calling it that." they both chuckled, then turned into silence as they finished their meal.

Regina feared if she spoke more, she was going to jump across the table and attack her with a fever so strong, she wouldn't be able to stop herself. She couldn't keep giving herself away so easily. If it was one thing that made the brunette weak in the knees, it was confidence and boldness. A woman who knew exactly what she wanted, a lot like herself you could say. When a man acted this way, she couldn't be more turned off, it was only when women did. With the champagne running through her veins, she was sure if she spoke she was going to ruin the moment. So as soon as she finished her meal, she placed her dish in the sink along with her empty glass. "That was lovely. Thank you for dinner, however, I am feeling rather tired so I'm going to rest up for tomorrow. I have a long day."

"You're most welcome, good night." Emma watched her ascend up the stairs, but before she made it to her room, she hollered, "M'lady."

When she closed the door, she shook her head. This woman is going to kill me before this is over with.


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning, Regina awoke to the sound of a rooster crowing at 5am. "You've got to be fucking kidding me?!" she grumbled. She slammed her head to the cold side of her pillow trying to go back to sleep. If it wasn't for the champagne the night before, she believed falling asleep would have been damn near impossible. Sleeping on this bed was like sleeping on a softer version of concrete. Just when she thought she was dozing back off, another screech from that awful bird. "FUCK ME!" She yelled. Then quickly realizing she was in another person's home. She quickly slapped her hand over her mouth, mentally kicking herself hoping she didn't wake up her new roommate. She arose from her bed slowly, opening the door to see if she woke up Emma, but was quickly forgotten when the smell of coffee hit her nostrils. She shrugged when she didn't hear anything come from her bedroom.

Regina made her way downstairs into the kitchen. There was a half a pot of coffee in the coffee pot with a small glass of cream next to it with a piece of paper folded in half under the cream. She picked up the note and read: 'Good mornin' m'lady ;) please help yourself to some freshly ground coffee and fresh cream. It may not be that fancy Starbucks stuff y'all have in the big apple, but I'm willing to bet money this is better. I will be back in later. There are eggs and bacon in the fridge, so help yourself! Have a nice morning! :) -Em'.

Regina shook her head. "I can't believe she's still on that." Truth be told, the way Emma said it made her heart skip a beat. It was adorable. Regina was never much on nicknames, but that little twang just made it because she did it effortlessly. She noticed it was the only time Emma really had an accent. She poured herself a large cup of coffee with a little cream. She brought the cup to her lips, inhaling it's rich aroma, sipping it slowly. "Mmm. That is good." it definatly wasn't Starbucks, but it would do. She downed the cup then quickly made herself another before heading back to her room.

She stayed cooped up in her room on the phone the rest of the morning once 7am hit. She set up a meeting with the national park director, Neal Moore for 2:30 that afternoon to go over NIYAglobal's plans. He was more than willing to work around his schedule to fit her in. She stretched fully, checking the time; 9:47. She smiled to herself feeling accomplished already before noon. By now in New York, she would be kicking herself awake in the middle of her second meeting craving another coffee.

She finally emerged from her room to the bathroom to shower off the night. Once fresh and clean, she wrapped a towel around her body and brushed her teeth. She opened the door to walk to her bedroom, when a very wide eyed blonde was standing in front of her. This time though, she didn't jump. She rolled her eyes. "Can I help you, dear?" Emma's eyes raked up and down her body slack jawed. It was the first time she seemed speechless, which pleased her immensely. "See something you like?" She took the time to notice that Emma was wearing close to what she wore the day before, but this time she was wearing a white t-shirt tucked into her jeans with a belt. When the blonde didn't answer this time, she sashayed around her to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. A knock quickly rapped once she entered. "Yes, dear." she hummed, all to happily at her small victory.

"I, uh, I made breakfast. It's hot and ready like you a-I mean, when you are!" Emma stammered before rushing down the stairs. She was absolutely mortified. The most beautiful woman she had ever seen, naked, in her house! Well, not exactly, there was a towel, but damn near it! Regina chuckled darkly at her embarrassment as she continued to get ready.

She walked into the kitchen with the click clack of her heels, sauntering into the kitchen in a navy dress that zipped down the back. When Emma turned she almost dropped her plate onto the floor. She was in mere rags compared to the woman before her. "I hope you like your eggs sunny side up." She forced a smile, hiding the embarrassment from moments before. "I've got some more work to do, but I was starving. And when I noticed none of the skillets were used, I figured you were hungry as well." When Regina regarded her with a smirk, Emma fixed her baseball cap nervously. "Well…enjoy breakfast."

But just when she turned around Regina asked, "What exactly do you do out there?"

The blonde turned almost stunned, as if it were the dumbest question she had ever been asked. However, she reminded herself that Regina probably had absolutely no idea since she lived in the city her whole life. She cleared her throat as she stepped closer, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Well, I get up at 4 in the morning to feed the chickens. Then a fill the pigs trough, then I clean my horses hooves and groom them. I milk my cows, tend my vegetables and chili's, manage the hay, clean the farming equipment." Emma was still going on, Regina listening in interest. She couldn't believe one woman did this day in and day out. "It keeps me busy."

"Wow, that's incredible." She said all too dreamy before realizing it. "Do you ride your horses?"

"Oh yeah, all the time. One is mine and the other is David's. Sometimes we race each other when there's nothing to do, but that's rare. We did that a lot as teens."

"How old are you Emma?"

"28, why? How old are you?"

"I was just curious Miss. Swan, no need to get defensive." she smirked. "I'm 33. I was only asking because that's a lot of work for someone your age…especially all by yourself. It's quite impressive." Somehow the energy in the room shifted and it made Emma uncomfortable because all she wanted to do was tear off that little blue dress.

"Oh, yeah, you know, I manage." She ran a single finger through her crew neck so she could swallow the lump in her throat. "Well, enjoy your breakfast!" she rushed as she ran out the door. God, how am I going to get through an entire year of this?

As the weeks progressed, Regina conversed with Gold about the development of the new cabins. Neal was over the moon about them. He expressed how people around here love to fish and hunt. Deer, elk, and a variety of birds were big in this part of town. Neal couldn't wait until the cabins were finished. He informed Regina that he would advertise for it on social media to get some attention as well as a name for the lodges. Needless to say Gold was impressed how well Regina was handling herself. "Dearie, keep this up and you'll be making as much as I do! Keep up the great work!"

With the weeks going by, both women only spent their evenings together. Trying to get to know each other better. It wasn't the best, but it was the basics. What were you like a kid, where do you want to be in ten years, favorite movies, etc. Regardless, during the day, they were buried in work; until one rainy April afternoon. A thunderstorm brewed around 2pm. The clouds were black as night as thunder rolled, lighting cracking in the sky. Regina had never seen anything like it. However, Emma was nowhere to be found and that made her nervous. She didn't want to be alone in the house by herself when the rain came. Of course it rained in New York but never like this. Thunderstorms didn't really exist. Just as it started to rain, Emma rushed into the house. "Whew! Just in time!"

"Where were you?! I was worried-" sick, but instead she said, "I was going to be alone in this old house!" Her fear made Emma giggle like a school girl. "This is not funny."

"Like hell it isn't! You may be Ms. Corporate badass, but on the inside, you're just a soft squishy teddy bear."

Regina feigned offense. "Now Emma Swan, you take that back this instance!"

"I will not! It's true! Ya big softy!" she poked her side, but she didn't respond the way Emma wanted her to. "You're not ticklish?"

"No. My parents did not do such a thing nor did I have siblings to torture me with it, thank God."

"Aw, you're no fun."

"Now, take it back! I am a corporate badass!" the older woman demanded.

"Nope." crossing her arms. Taking the idea Emma had, she poked her side, but this time Emma squeaked. "HEY! No tickling!"

"But you just tried to do it to me."

"Because you're a hardass."

"Hm, I like badass better."

"Oh, really?" Emma stepped closer into the woman's personal space, causing amber eyes to darken.

"Really." They stayed staring at each other like that for what seemed like for hours. Regina was just about to lean in and kiss her, when thunder roared through the house, causing her to jump back. Emma looked up and around the living room with a smile.

"I'm going to shower and change. I'm finished for the day. I was thinking we could play a round of poker or something and kick a few back."

"Excuse me? Kick a few back?" she had never heard such a term before.

Emma rolled her eyes as she exhaled dramatically. "Kick a few back. You know, have a few drinks? I just bought a 24 pack of Budweiser the other day. Or are you too scared I'll beat your ass?"

The thought of Regina bent over Emma's lap being spanked in her lace garters with Emma in nothing but a white button up and black cowboy hat came to mind and it was something she had to shake off immediately. "I am not afraid. You're on. But just so you know, I'm the best at card games."

"Oh, you're on Mills!" Emma ran up the stairs and closed the door behind her. The image still fresh in the brunette's mind, she ran straight to her room to make herself more comfortable.

She usually wore matching pajamas, as did Emma, but in plaid, she decided on a pair of grey yoga pants and a white cami. She made sure her black lace push up bra was showing though. Regina removed most of her make up as well. She noticed that the blonde could never take her eyes off her when she didn't wear it, which is exactly what she wanted. Checking herself out in the mirror she confidently made her way to the kitchen.

Once Emma made herself known, Regina nearly stopped breathing. Even though it had been a little over a month, she still wasn't used to A: living with another person and B: seeing Emma look so breath taking every time. She was sporting green short shorts with a grey tight muscle shirt. Her long hair blow dried with her natural waves. Emma smirked at the effect she had on the brunette. "You ready to go down Mills?"

The way she asked that question, once more, Regina's mind was thinking of something much dirtier. Oh, I'd love to go down, she thought. She gazed at the blonde through hooded eyes for a moment before she realized Emma looked thoroughly confused. She quickly snapped out of her dirty thoughts. "Yes, I'm ready. However, you will be the one that will be going down." she retorted right back, trying to sound competitive, but coming out much more seductive than she wanted.

Emma wiggled her eyebrows as she grinned wickedly. "We'll see about that." she turned to the fridge, making sure to give the brunette a nice view of her ample ass, grabbing two beers, turning around as she closed the door with her foot. She placed the beers on the table before grabbing a deck of cards from one of the kitchen drawers.

Regina opened her beer taking a large swig, cringing hard after she swallowed. "Oh my God, that is awful!"

"Oh, don't be such a princess! It's the only kind of good beer we have in this city!"

"I am NOT a princess." she crossed her arms, furrowing her brows. "You had it right on day one, dear. I am a queen!"

"Yes, your majesty!" Emma began worshiping her. "Forgive me oh gracious one!"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up and shuffle the damn cards!"

As she shuffled the cards, she said, "Okay, to make things more interesting, each hand lost, we get to ask each other a question. It can be any question, but if we refuse to answer, you have to shotgun your beer. Deal?"

"What is shot gunning a beer?"

Emma immediately stopped shuffling. "You're joking right?" Regina shook her head. "Oh my-get up. Let me show you. We're going to do it together." she slammed the deck in the middle of the table as she handed her beer to Regina getting another.

"I have a beer already."

"Yeah, but you need an unopened one." She grabbed a small knife from the utensil drawer. "So, what you do is make a cut at the bottom of the can like this. Then, you put your mouth over it and open the can and chug. Like this." she demonstrated effortlessly, downing the can in roughly thirty seconds. She wiped the back of her hand over her wet mouth as she crushed the can in the other. "Ah! And that's how you shotgun a beer!"

Regina almost seemed repulsed and wanted to stop the poker game before it started, but it was too late, Emma was already handing her, her beer. Not to mention, the way Emma did it made it look sexy. She was certain she was going to vomit, making a fool of herself. Regina looked nervously at her.

"C'mon queenie. Don't worry, I won't laugh if you throw up or get beer on all over the place. I've got faith you'll be fine." She offered a soft smile.

The brunette brought can to her lips then opened the top. She chugged as much as she could, which was about half of the can before she stopped to hold it together. Just as Emma was about to open her big mouth, she went back and finished the beer. "THAT WAS AWFUL!"

"DAMN MILLS! That was awesome! Not bad for a first timer!" She smacked her arm with pride.

"Now, let's play." she responded with much more pride.

After the first few hands, it was safe to say both women were easily buzzed. By the fifth hand, the lights went out, however, there was still enough light in the kitchen with the curtains drawn. Emma found some candles under the sink in the half bath, lighting them all over the house. Even though they were asking each other questions about themselves, they still shot gunned a beer every other question. Regina was right about her poker skills, because Emma losing every time. She just drank with her so she wasn't bored.

"Alright Gina, how are you not taken? You've got to be the hottest woman on the face of the planet."

The brunette chuckled. "Are you ever going to stop coming up with those silly nicknames?"

"Not a chance! Now, answer the question!"

"Because I work! I work all the time. And whenever I'm not, I'm either doing overtime, at the gym or sleeping it all off. My last relationship was five years ago."

"WHAT?!"

"You understand, I've seen you work. You're just like me, except in a whole other manner."

"Yeah, but-"

"When was YOUR last relationship?"

Emma shook her head. "Two years ago." she sighed. "It was when I was in college."

"Which reminds me, how long were you in college? Your brother said something about you dropping out."

The blonde rolled her eyes as she sipped her beer. "My brother and his big mouth. I was a junior when mom and dad passed." another long sip. "But that wasn't the only reason."

Regina raised her eyebrow, slamming her cards down indicating she was through playing poker. "Really? Pray tell."

Emma smirked. "Well, it's a bit scandalous, are you sure you can handle it?" Regina nodded as leaned forward with interest. She took a deep breath before she blurted, "I had an affair with my professor." Regina's mouth fell open in utter shock. "Yep. For three years." when she was still speechless, she continued. "She was my biology teacher. Her name was Dr. Robbins, she was a veterinarian. She taught us everything we needed to know about saving our livestock and delivering their offspring. Needless to say, I was her favorite student, growing up on a farm and all. The sex was great, we had a decent connection…all was well until her ex-wife came back from Seattle wanting to work things out." Emma chugged the rest of her drink. "And since my life is one colossal joke, a week later I get a call from David that mom was really sick and when I came home, they passed a few days after. So, I found no reason to go back to college. I had more important responsibilities to do, so I really didn't have time for school anyway."

"Damn, that's rough Emma. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Emma let out a deep, remorseful sigh. "Yeah, but if it wasn't for David, I probably wouldn't still be here today. He's the real hero here."

Regina processed all the new information Emma shared with her as she finished the rest of her beer. "Well, I'm glad you have such a great sibling, because I can't imagine a world without an Emma Swan in it." she looked directly into those shining blue eyes as they softened in awe. "You're such a strong person who is independent, hard working, confident, able…I know a lot of people I work with who are well in their 30's and 40's and aren't as put together as you are." Regina offered a smile as she reached over grasping Emma's hands. "You truly are incredible. The world needs more people like you Miss. Swan."

For a moment, it looked like the younger woman was about to cry, she was incredibly touched. "Wow Regina, I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"I only speak the truth, dear."

"Either that or you're tipsy." both women laughed as Emma squeezed their hands before retrieving hers into her lap. Thunder rolled once more as the rain began coming down harder.

"Believe me, I mean what I say in either regards." she chuckled.

"So, what about you? You're last relationship was five years ago!"

"Well, the last person I dated was a woman, so that was fun."

"I KNEW IT!" Emma yelled as she clapped her hands together. "You're bisexual aren't you?"

"How did you know?!"

"I just know these things. Anyway, continue. I need to know the details!" she stood grabbing another two cans for them.

"Her name was Vanessa. She was a district attorney in Brooklyn. We met online, met up, realized we had a lot in common and got together." She sighed.

"How was the sex?" she asked boldly, setting her beer down.

"It was good. Not as mind blowing as I expected it to be, but good. However, we had lots of it." she chuckled. "We were too much a like, which bored me. I also think it bored her as well. So, when I broke it off six months later, she wasn't surprised."

"Well, did you love her? Or ever been in love?"

This caused her to down the entire can before answering. "I was twice. Once, when I was in high school; I dated this boy Robin, which my mother forbid me to see since he wasn't as rich as we were." she rolled her eyes. "And a woman named Danielle, who I met in my mid-20's."

"Yeesh, your mom would probably hate me then."

"She is no longer living, but if she were alive, she wouldn't approve of my lifestyle regardless."

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear. I hope I didn't offend you."

"None taken. She was a royal bitch who hated everyone who didn't have money. She hardly wanted me to become a project developer. She wanted me to be a lawyer like her, but that isn't what I wanted."

"What about your dad, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He died when I was thirteen due to a stroke."

"Wow, that is…that's rough. I thought I had it bad. I'm so sorry Regina."

"It's alright, I'm at peace with everything now. I was on a war path full of resentment for a long time until I met Danielle. We dated for four years before it ended."

"What happened?"

The brunette took another long sip before answering. "She left because I was a workaholic and claimed I didn't spend enough time with her, when I moved heaven and earth to always be with her." another long swig. "I was constantly taking off to be with her or moving meetings with my clients. Eventually, my boss told me if I wanted to become VP of the company, I needed to push myself harder in my career." her brows furrowed at the memory. "I did what I could for her, but it wasn't enough. However, it still hurt me when it ended. I loved her more than anything and promised myself that if love was going to be this complicated, I might as well not be in it at all."

Emma could see the hurt and pain in her eyes. Regina stood up as she walked towards the living room in frustration, realizing she did indeed have too much to drink. Emma stumbled quickly over as she placed her hands on her arms rubbing them up and down. "Hey, it's okay." she cooed. "I can't imagine anyone wanting to leave you. You're beautiful, smart, caring, passionate…everything someone needs as a partner. She was crazy to leave you."

Regina shook her head. "No, she wasn't. I should have tried harder."

The younger woman realized for the first time she was slightly taller than the brunette. She placed a finger under her chin, tilting it up to make eye contact. Even though she wasn't crying, the pain was still there, but softening. "You did what you could. If she couldn't handle it, then she didn't deserve a gem like you."

With those words spoken, it was too much for Regina. She stared deep into warm, forgiving eyes and lunged forward, pressing her lips to Emma's; who was startled at first but quickly gave in to those soft lips. They pulled back only for a moment to look at one another once more, silently asking permission before continuing. Emma ran her fingers though short locks before catching her face. Thunder continued to clash in the background as she deepened the kiss by swiping her tongue over plump, luscious lips. Regina moaned into the kiss, giving her access and the feel of her tongue nearly brought her to her knees. Emma wrapped a free hand around her waist, holding her steady. Regina wrapped her arms around her neck as she pressed into her. Just as it was starting to get intense, the lights came back on, causing them to stop, breaking them up. As Regina tried to steady her breathing, she glanced at Emma, who was doing the same. "I should go lie down…" was all she said before storming up the stairs, slamming the door behind her.

Emma stood in shock, covering her face with her hands. "Damn that was a good kiss." she whispered to herself. "I hope I didn't fuck this up." with a sigh she cleaned up the kitchen then helped herself to her last beverage of the day as she sat in her recliner turning on the only TV in the house to watch the news.


	5. Chapter 5

Four months go by since that faithful day, the day Emma replayed over and over in her head twenty times a day…the day they kissed. Regina couldn't stop thinking about it either, however, she kept reminding herself that she had a job to do. The whole reason she was out here in the middle of nowhere was to increase tourism. She made sure to keep her distance ever since that day. Not that she wanted to, oh no, she wanted to take that kiss further that day. She thought of how she would have slung Emma onto the couch and made sweet, passionate love to her. It killed her; but she was afraid that it wouldn't work. After opening up to Emma about Danielle, she remembered how much love hurt her in the past, knowing it would only go nowhere. So, as she stayed busy with work, as did Emma.

Still, the only time they really spent together was in the evenings when they ate dinner or watched TV. Which, she found out how good of a cook Emma was. Regina cooked every now and then, but Emma basically forbade it since she was her guest. It was actually flattering. She also came to realize Emma owned a smart phone, which surprised her. Emma explained she had bought one when she was in college to stay up to date with her homework assignments and study groups. Like a school girl, Regina asked for her number for emergency purposes…at least, that's what she told herself anyway. She also looked her up on social media, but found that she only had Instagram and she hardly used it. There was a total of 30 post, all of the farm and beer. Regina scoffed at the fact that she truly was a country girl.

Since it had been four months, that means it was August, which meant it was hot! REALLY HOT! Nothing like she had ever experienced before. New York got hot, but not like this. It was dry, crisp and unrelenting. She absolutely hated it!

Late one evening, Regina was in the living room binge watching Ancient Aliens when suddenly Emma ran into the house excitedly. "Alrighty my dear, get dressed! We're going out on the town!"

Regina had to repress falling off the couch with laughter, scoffing, she said, "What town?"

"This one silly! David texted me that he wanted to go out. You get to meet Mary Margaret."

"Oh, this I have to see. Where are we going?"

"There's a bar up the road, Leroy's Saloon that has pretty great drinks and music, so we're going there."

Regina giggled, "And, how are we getting there? Are we walking or taking the horses?" Emma raised her eyebrow as she crossed her arms smirking. At this point, Regina busted into a fit of laughter.

"You think you're so funny don't you?" when the brunette didn't stop laughing, she continued. "We're driving there like normal people! But if we get too drunk then we can walk back home if necessary."

"Hey, maybe we can bring beer for your horses!" Regina spat, hardly getting out her ridiculous joke.

Emma wacked her on the arm, grinning from ear to ear. She loved hearing her laugh, but she was going to get her back. There was one tiny detail she refrained from telling her about. Not only was it your typically run of the mill bar, it was a square dancing bar and she fully intended on making her uppity roommate dance with her. "Keep it up... We'll see who has the last laugh at the end of the night."

After Regina was done laughing, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "So, what does one wear to a bar around here?"

"Jeans are fine, nothing fancy."

"What time are we leaving?"

Emma glanced at the clock on the wall that read 7:41. "In about thirty minutes."

She jumped from the sofa, turning the TV off. "Well why didn't you tell me sooner?!" She quickly rushed up the stairs, slamming the door behind her.

Emma shook her head chuckling to herself. "This is gonna be too good." she made her way up the stairs to get ready herself. After her shower, she searched through her closet, and decided on a nice dark pair of blue jeans with a white button up shirt. She folded the sleeves up to her elbow as she tucked them into her pants, looping a belt to keep her pants up. She grabbed her favorite dancing boots and her signature black cowboy hat for nights like this. After spraying herself with Tom Ford Noir and placing her fathers gold watch on, she checked herself out in the mirror, whistling in pride. "Damn, I look good." however, Emma knew Regina was either going to laugh at her or fawn over her. Either way, it was going to be a hilarious reaction.

Regina settled on a pair of skinny jeans with a black halter top and matching heels. Her make up was flawless, per usual. When she made her way downstairs, she nearly fell down. Emma was leaned up against the wall between the kitchen and living room looking down at her phone. There it was, there was that hat she wondered about for months now. She figured she owned one, but she really didn't think she would look that good in it. She bit her lip as the blonde looked up, beaming at her.

"Well, don't you look beautiful m'lady."

Regina so desperately wanted to roll her eyes, but she couldn't. Not with Emma staring at her like that, like she was the only woman in the world. "You look nice too, dear."

Emma smiled brightly, thanking the universe Regina wasn't laughing at her. "You know, I really thought you would have made fun of me with this little outfit?"

She raked her eyes up and down the blonde, really taking her in, smelling the cologne that was fuming off her. "Who's laughing?" she husked. "I wouldn't dare."

This made Emma swallow hard. She couldn't handle her looking or speaking that way. There would be no leaving the house if she stood there any longer. She cleared her throat, "C'mon, let's go before David decides to come to check on me."

By this point, the brunette was used to the old Cadillac Emma owned. She used it whenever she needed to go to the lake for work. It had that old leather smell to it, but it was a vintage, so she couldn't deny that was the reason. But, every time she got in the vehicle, it reminded her of Emma and how she smelled of oak, pine and even a bit of leather. It was a smell she wasn't used to, but it was authentically Emma.

Once they arrived at the saloon, it was booming with music. David was sporting a similar look to Emma's, except he was in a navy and grey button up with the same beige hat he had worn to pick up Regina in. Next to him stood, was Mary Margaret. She had to refrain from laughing at the poor woman. She was very plain with her short black hair, long white dress and simple brow boots. Emma hugged them both as she turned to her, "Mary Margaret, this is Regina Mills."

She over enthusiastically extended her hand, shaking it so hard she thought her arm was going to fall off. "It's so nice to finally meet you! I've heard so many great things about you!"

Now she really had to hold it together because the woman had an accent. It was the thickest country accent she had ever heard. She grinned at her as she turned to Emma, knowingly. "It's nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Swan."

This caused the woman to burst into giggles so sweet it would have put the tooth fairy to shame. "Oh please, call me Mary Margaret, or MM!" she chuckled. "Whichever is easiest for you!"

David turned to Regina hugging her tightly. "Nice to see you again Ms. Mills. How are things working out here for you? Not too bored I hope." he smiled.

"I've been busy as you can imagine." she smiled. "But, I've been enjoying my stay more than I thought I would."

"That's great to hear! Let's head inside and grab us a few cold ones. First rounds on me! Then you can update me on how the cabins are coming along."

Once inside, Regina truly believed she was going to faint. It was exactly like she would imagine a small western bar to look. Wood floors, walls, even mounted bull heads and complete with a large jukebox. Which, unsurprisingly, was playing some fast beat country song. People were dancing in exact unison and it was unsettling. So many cowboy hats and boots stomping around she could have sworn she was in Wild Wild West. Emma leaned over and whispered, "Now who has the last laugh?" Just as she was about to ask where they were exactly, she walked past her to the bar to catch up with her brother and sister in law.

As she sat down, the bartender placed four shot glasses and filled them up with whiskey. "To new friendships!" David shouted as they all took their shot. Regina was the only one to grimace. "So tell me, has Neal come up with a name for the property yet"

"He did. He's calling them Moore Cabins, how original."

"Yep, that sounds like him. What's his slogan? Moore fishing, Moore hunting, Moore beauty?"

Everyone laughed in unison. "Yeah, that sounds like something he would say!" Emma confirmed.

"I'm surprised! You're pretty close! It's: Get Moore at Moore Cabins." Once more, they shared a hearty laugh. "So tell me, what exactly is this place?" the bartender came back around filling their glasses with more whiskey before placing four large pints of beer.

"It's a dancing bar!" Mary Margaret shouted. "Line dances, square dancin' and hey, whatever kind you're into!" _Jesus Christ._

"Do they only play country?!"

"That's what the jukebox is for!"

Regina rolled her eyes as she downed a good bit of her beer before taking the shot of her whiskey. _She wouldn't dare make me dance_ , she thought. She was wrong. Emma finished her beer and shot as a super catchy song came on. Emma didn't ask, oh no, she grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her onto the dance floor. "What the hell are you doing?! I can't dance!" she yelled.

"It's easy! Don't be a puss!"

Suddenly, David, Mary Margaret as well as the rest of the bar joined the dancefloor. _HOW HUMILIATING!_ As soon as the lyrics started, everyone started moving and clapping. She tried to remain still, but Emma jabbed her again to move. She had no choice either since people were running into her the longer she stood there. So, she watched her every move as she attempted to dance. The song loudly played;

_'Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee_   
_It gets hotter than a hoochie coochie_   
_We laid rubber on the Georgia asphalt_   
_We got a little crazy but we never got caught_

_Down by the river on a Friday night_   
_A pyramid of cans in the pale moonlight_   
_Talking 'bout cars and dreaming 'bout women_   
_Never had a plan just a livin' for the minute_   
_Yeah way down yonder on the Chattahoochee_   
_Never knew how much that muddy water meant to me_   
_But I learned how to swim and I learned who I was_   
_A lot about livin' and a little 'bout love'_

She couldn't believe she was dancing to such a ridiculous song. It may have been an easy line dance, but the lyrics mixed with the liquor just made it ten times funnier. She had to admit, by the end of the song, she had, had a great time. However, just as she thought she was off the hook, a slow song came on and she grabbed her once more, pulling her close. "Oh no, you're not done yet." She breathed. "I get this song and one more dance then we can take a break."

"You can't be serious Emma!"

"Oh, but I am. This is what you get for laughing at my earlier."

"Asshole."

"You love it." the blonde wrapped her arm around her waist, grasping one hand with the other as the song sang:

_'I fall to pieces_   
_Each time I see you again_   
_I fall to pieces_

_How can I be just your friend?_

_You want me to act like we've never kissed_   
_You want me to forget (to forget)_   
_Pretend we've never met (never met)_

_And I've tried and I've tried_   
_But I haven't yet_   
_You walk by and I fall to pieces'_

As they danced, David strolled by them with a huge grin on his face, handing them both another pint of beer. The sipped as they danced, which was almost too much for Regina. They placed their drinks on a nearby table as the continued to dance. Regina lay her head on Emma's chest, hearing the sound of her heart racing made her smile. Little did she know, David was behind her giving Emma the thumbs up before making over dramatic love gestures. The blonde smirked as she flipped him off.

As the song faded to an end, another slightly upbeat song came on, but nowhere near as fast as the other. They picked up their pace as more people strutted to the dance floor.

_'I wanna sweep you off your feet tonight_   
_I wanna love you and hold you tight_   
_Spin you around on some old dance floor_   
_Act like we never met before for fun,_

_'Cause you're the one I want, you're the one I need_   
_Baby, if I was a king, ah, you would be my queen_   
_You're the rock in my roll_   
_You're good for my soul, it's true_   
_I'm head over boots for you'_

As the song played, Emma lip sang the song, which caused the brunette to blush furiously. She spun her around whenever the chorus came, then dipped her when it ended. "Now, are you going to continue to make fun of me, or do I need to keep forcing you to dance?" Emma grinned.

"You've made your point vividly clear." she responded out of breath. "May I sit down now?"

She pulled a chair out as she waved her hand over the seat. "After you."

The four sat for hours before they were a blithering mess. There was a song in the background about trains, which made Emma sprout right up out of her seat looking at her watch. "Let's go Regina! I need to show you something! Right now!" she slammed some cash down as she told David that is was her half of the bill before sprinting out of the saloon and into her car.

"Emma, are you sure you're okay to drive? You've had a lot to drink."

"I'm fine, I promise. I can hold my liquor, unlike my brother." she grinned. They took off in a hurry. "I hope we make it."

"And where exactly are we going at this hour?"

"You'll see, it's a surprise."

"Don't you think I've had enough surprises for the day?"

"Yeah, but this isn't going to humiliate you. I promise."

After ten minutes, Emma pulled off to the side onto a dry patch of dirt right in front of a train track. As a loud train horn blew from a distance.

"Um, why are we in front of a train track? Completely in the middle of nowhere?"

"We made it! Just in time! C'mon Regina!" She quickly hopped out of the car, removing her hat as she threw it in the backseat. She opened the door for her as she swung her around to the front of her car. She wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her close to her. "We're going to watch the midnight train, m'dear.

After a minor paused, she finally asked, "Why?"

"Because it's romantic, that's why." she squeezed her a little tighter causing her to squeak. "Are you going to question all my romantic gestures woman?"

"I was only asking." she husked.

As the train neared, the horn got louder. As Regina tensed up momentarily as she glanced up and noticed all the stars in the sky, with the nearly full moon shining bright. Her breath was nearly taken away at the sight and as the train passed by them.

Emma nestled her face into Regina's neck, causing her to stop breathing. "Why are you so perfect?" she whispered. Regina remained speechless as she placed a kiss onto her neck. "You smell so good." she continued to kiss up her neck until she reached her earlobe. "You have no idea what you do to me."

Chills ran down her spine as she turned to face the woman behind her. The moonlight shining down on her pale face as her sparkling eyes dazzled in the light. Regina leaned into her, pulling the collar of her shirt closer as she whispered, "Then show me."

Emma pulled her into a passionate kiss as she picked her up, placing her on the hood of her car. The kiss quickly became heated as Regina began unbuttoning Emma's shirt. The blonde kicked opened her legs as she stepped into her center. The brunette immediately wrapped her legs around her, making sure she was as close as possible. Once Emma's shirt was unbuttoned, Regina discovered she wasn't wearing a bra or undershirt. Her hands immediately cupped her perfect sized breast.

Emma moaned at the touch, which gave Regina access to her mouth even more. She wrapped her lips around her tongue and began sucking slowly as she tweaked her nipples. The sound that escaped the blonde was the most feminine sound she had ever heard. It immediately made her wetter than ever before. "Emma, touch me." She whimpered.

She didn't have to tell her twice. She quickly unzipped Regina's pants as she dipped her hands down her underwear. "Jesus, you're soaked."

Regina moaned as she tossed her head back in utter glory. It had been too long since she had been made loved to. Emma leaned forward as she licked and nipped her neck and throat up to her jaw, pulling her into a deeper kiss. "I know, only because of you." she moaned. "No one will see us will they?" part of her knew it was a stupid question, but she had to ask.

The blonde hummed against her ear, "No one will see us, I promise. No one is around for miles, baby." _That's new._

"Mmm, call me that again."

Emma's fingers flicked in and out of her dripping core as she whispered, "Baby." once more.

"Oh, Emma, yes." She began bucking her hips harder and harder, gripping long locks of blonde hair. It wouldn't be long before she would be coming apart. Just as her orgasm was rising, Emma pulled her fingers out, which damn near caused Regina to cry. She shoved her pants down her legs as she bent on her knees, pulling her into her mouth. "Oh, God! Yes!" She quickly intertwined her fingers into her hair, making sure she didn't stop. She wrapped her legs around her shoulders, heels falling to the ground. She continued her bucking until she was coming hard in Emma's mouth, screaming so loudly she swore someone would hear her.

As soon as Emma stood on her feet, Regina quickly shoved her against the car, causing Emma to smirk lustfully. She pulled up her pants in lighting speed, then proceeded to unbuckled Emma's belt. She leaned forward as she shoved her hands into her underwear. "You know, I've had a little fantasy about that hat of yours?" Emma wanted to respond, but she answered with a moan as fingers met her core for the first time in years. "I imagine me over your lap with me wearing nothing but lace garters and you in that hat. Spanking me and fucking me senseless." she pumped her fingers faster, feeling her juices flow onto her hand. "Would you like that Em-ma?"

"God, yes!"

Regina brought her lips to pink nipples and paid them much needed attention. Emma began shaking at it all was too much, but in the best possible way. Once each nipple was attended to, she kissed her hard. She looked at Emma's face with such lust it was uncanny. "You're so sexy." she whispered.

Apparently, that was all Emma needed to hear as her orgasm washed over her. Grinding into her fingers harder and harder. She wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling on her hair. This made Regina bite her lip as she smirked watching her come apart for her.

Once her breath had caught up to her, Regina slowly removed her fingers, then bringing them to her lips, sucking on them slowly. She moaned at the taste, closing her eyes in admiration. "Fuck, Gina." she gasped. "You're trying to kill me."

"Mmm, you taste divine." She leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "I want more." she nipped her lower lip predatorily.

"Your voice…I don't think I can take it. It's so deep and..and…"

"And what, dear?" she nipped her ear. "Tell me."

"Fucking hot." her heart was in her throat.

"Take me home, Emma. I want more. I'm not done with you yet."

Emma gulped hard as she buttoned a total of three buttons before jumping to her car with Regina on her heels.


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as the walked through the door, Regina slammed Emma against the nearest wall, shredding her of her shirt. "This," she pointed to her hat. "Stays on." Their mouths clashed as their tongues fought for dominance. Emma picked the brunette up as they made their way up the stairs, kissing nonstop. Regina wrapped her legs around the muscular woman, moaning into the kiss. Once they reached the bedroom, the blonde slammed her down onto the bed. She immediately removed the brunette of her shirt and pants. Regina smirked at the reaction Emma had realizing her lace bra and matching thong. She bit her lip as she grabbed the blonde by the belt pulling her towards her. She removed the rest of her clothing as she speedily switched positions.

"I want to hear more about this little fantasy of yours."

Regina's eyes went dark as she stared at her hat back to her eyes. "Then let's stop wasting time. Sit up." the blonde did as instructed. "I want you to spank me, then fuck me hard, can you manage that?" like a cat stretching from a nap, Regina slowly made lay across strong thighs.

"Manage?" she slapped ample ass cheeks, causing a small crackling sound. The brunette gasped loudly, then taking her bottom lip into her mouth. "The question you need to be asking is if you can handle it?" she spanked her once more.

"YES!" She cried.

Emma rubbed her bottom calmly before her hand came down once more. This pattern was repeated five more times before Regina's ass want a nice shade of pinkish red. "Are you ready to be fucked, m'dear?"

"God yes!" She gently lifted herself off her lap with wobbly legs, laying face down. "Can you fuck me from behind?" she rasped.

Even though Regina couldn't see it, Emma formed a wicked smirk. "Most certainly." she reached over into her nightstand, pulling out a decent sized strap-on. "How about with this?" she husked into her ear.

Her eyes went wide with lust, yet surprise. "Please!"

As Emma put the sex toy around her waist, Regina turned around facing the end of the bed, laying on her stomach. As the toy dangled in front of her, Emma leaned her hips forward. "Suck." Regina's lust filled eyes glanced up at her lover as she slowly took the dildo into her mouth willingly. Keeping eye contact as she sucked. "Jesus, fuck! That's hot!" Just the sight of Regina giving oral was hands down the most erotic thing she had ever seen. She wrapped her hand the back of her head as she moaned whenever plump lips grazed her pubic area. To make things worse, she was beginning to drip down her thighs, she was certain she could come just from this. "Okay, turn over." she breathed. Regina obliged without hesitation. She lifted Regina's hips as she slowly entered the back of her dripping wet core.

"Fuck!" she gripped the sheets hard as her lover began pumping in and out of her with a steady rhythm. "Yes!"

The blonde gripped one hand on the brunette's hip and with the other she threaded her fingers into her hair, pulling slightly hard. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yes! Please don't stop Emma!" the way she responded was so needy and whiny it almost hurt her not to give her what she asked for. "Harder, please!" Emma grinned as she began pounding into the woman below her relentlessly. She didn't stop until she was screaming her name.

She pulled out slowly, causing a small whine from Regina. She collapsed on side of her grinning from ear to ear. "That was so hot."

"Now, it's your turn." She rolled over and slid down the bed, her lips hovering the strap on. "I saw how much this turned you on. So I'm going to make you come like you've never have before." Emma's eyes went wide. She wanted to question how, but there was no time as she was sucking her essence off. With each head movement downwards, deep throating the toy, she licked the opening of her core.

"Woah." she breathed. That was all she could say. There was a thousand thoughts running through her head of what she wanted to say, yet was rendered speechless. Regina's hands rubbed and scratched up and down her thighs has she sucked the dildo. When she ran her hands in her inner thighs, she began to shake. With that notion, she stopped the blow job, moved the toy out of the way and began eating her out. This caused Emma to shoot up, grasping the back of her head. "Fuck! Please don't stop!" Regina smirked as she licked, then inserted two fingers into her opening. Shortly after this gesture, Emma was screaming so loudly she was sure the whole damn town heard her, but she didn't care.

Drinking up the remained of her lover, she made her way up as she slid down onto the toy. "Mmm, you make me so wet, Emma. I can't help myself." she glanced down at the amazed woman. "You in that hat is the sexiest thing I've ever laid eyes on. Can I ride you?" She smirked. "Do you have enough energy cowgirl?"

Emma chuckled at that. "Baby, you can ride me all night long."

With a huge smile of victory, she began fucking herself. Emma did not hesitate and began thrusting hard into her as fast as she could. As she came for the third time that night, the blonde sat up as Regina's orgasm washed over her, nuzzling her face into her luscious breast. Nipping and sucking each one with vigor. In doing so, her hat fell off and onto the floor, forgotten with the rest of their clothes. Regina placed her hands on her cheeks as she kissed her deeply, settling down from her incredibly orgasm.

She fell to the side of the bed utterly exhausted. Emma took off the strap on, placing it back where it belonged. She wrapped her arms around Regina snuggling into her. "Your stamina is relentless, you know that?"

"I can't wait to make you come again."

She chuckled. "You, my dear, have thoroughly exhausted me. I need to rest." she placed a kiss on her shoulder.

"But I want to!" She whined.

"Tomorrow, I promise." with a yawn, both slowly drifted off into sleep.

The next morning, Regina awoke to an empty bed, but to the smell of pancakes in the air. She assumed Emma was making breakfast, so she lay back down for a moment to regain her strength. She took the time to look around her lovers room. Like the rest of the house, it was very plain. The walls were white with cream colored see through curtains. Their was a tall wooden dresser with a full body mirror next to it. She looked to her left and saw two door not far apart from each other. One was cracked and she could see it was the bathroom; the other she assumed was her closet. Just as she was about to get up and inspect it, in walked Emma with a large tray with two plates of pancakes, a large bottle of syrup, two cups of coffee, cream with a few yellow wildflowers. "Rise and shine m'dear! You're breakfast is here!" she smirked as she placed the large tray onto the nightstand, handing Regina her plate. "Tell me when." she began pouring the cream into her coffee. It took all about two seconds for her to say when. She handed the hot mug to her. "You looked so beautiful this morning, I didn't want to wake you."

"You're too good to me." she smiled into her coffee. "You know, I've gotten so use to your cooking, I don't know what I'm going to do when I go back to New York." she chuckled. However, talking about going home really pulled at her heartstrings. She had grown so accustomed to Emma and now their relationship has gone further, she didn't know what she was going to do when March came around.

Emma must have seen the wheels turning in her head. She offered a smile as she poured the syrup over her pancakes. "Well, that just means I'm going to have to come and visit you then." When their eyes met, her heart swelled and realized that she really could fall in love with this woman. "Or you could just stuff me into your suitcase." Regina breathed a smile. "There she is! There's my smile!"

Regina took a bite of her breakfast and moaned. "I just might have to steal you, especially with the way you cook. I'll be eating take out again and I might get sick without you." she beamed.

The blonde made a distasteful face. "Oh no, I can see right now I'm going to have to hideaway in your suitcase. I can't be having my baby getting sick."

There was that word again. It made Regina's heart jump into her throat each time she said it. "Really?"

"Really, really!" As they ate, they remained silent; that is until a lightbulb went off in Emma's head. "Oh my God! I can't believe I forgot! I owe you a date! To the sushi place in the city!"

"Oh yes, I remember you talking about that place. What's the name of it?"

"Sushi King! I went there a few times when I was at college. My friends and I would typically go once a month after studying for hours."

"Do you ever talk to your college friends?"

Emma shrugged. "On occasion. I usually just see what they’re doing on Instagram, but that's about it. After I dropped out they never stayed in contact, but I don't mind. I'm kind of a lone wolf." she smirked.

"I don't have any close friends either. I have a childhood friend, Kathryn, I see when I have time. She works in marketing, but I don't see her as much as I'd like. So you could say I'm kind of a lone wolf myself."

"Well, we can be a tiny wolf pack." she giggled as she took another bite. "So, how about I take you out tonight? My treat."

"Oh no! You've treated me enough. Now it's my turn!" just as Emma was about to protest, Regina stuffed a piece of pancake in her mouth. "No buts! You've done so much for me the past six months, I want to do something nice for you. All I require is that you drive. Do we have a deal?"

After she swallowed she rolled her eyes. "Fine!"

"Perfect. It's a date. Say, 7 o'clock?"

Emma sighed in defeat. "It's a date."

Regina leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You're the best!"

"I know, I know."

"Shut up."

"That's not what you were saying last night." she sang. Regina elbowed her in the side, smirking. "Hey, it's true!"

Regina was blushing furiously. She dipped her finger into the remaining syrup on her plate and smeared it over that smart mouth. "I said, hush." She leaned forward as she licked the sticky condiment off her lips, sucking them slowly. Emma didn't say another word.

That evening, Regina slid into a little black dress with matching heels. She fluffed her hair a bit after applying a semi-dark color of red lipstick. Downstairs, Emma was in the living room catching up on the weather when Regina walked down. She whistled loudly at her, causing her to blush. "You will never stop looking good. Damn I feel lucky!" she hopped out of her chair turning off the TV.

Regina took in Emma for the second night in a row, completely in awe of how she could make anything look good. She wore a pair of tight jeans with black boots accompanied with a grey high neck shirt with a light brown leather jacket. "I believe I am the one who's lucky tonight. You look beautiful."

Emma turned twenty shades of pink. "Aw, shucks Regina, you sure know how to make a girl blush."

The way she said it lit up the older woman's face. She placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Let's go Miss. Swan. I would hate to be late for our date." she winked.

The two hour ride seemed to fly by as they talked about their taste in music and reminisced about their night from before. She learned that Emma's favorite musician was a country artist she never heard of, Paul Cauthen. She played a few of his songs and Regina wasn't that impressed, but Emma said he was the new Johnny Cash, that there was just something about him she loved. Emma told Regina to look in the glove compartment where there was a CD holder full of music. She couldn't believe people still owned them. As she looked through them, she came across a CD that had scribbled 'Mix' on it. "What's this?"

"Oh, that's a mix of old school rock. AC/DC, Queen, The Rolling Stones. But I don't really-what are you doing?"

"We are playing this! I love The Rolling Stones!" Which the first song happened to be Paint it Black. Regina screamed as she turned up the volume. "This is my favorite song!" Emma laughed as she sang along with her as they drove into the city.

About an hour later and Regina was kicking herself for not paying attention when she landed in Albuquerque. The mountains in the background as the sun began to set on the city was truly breathtaking. After Emma parked the car, she hopped out opening the door for her date. They walked arm in arm together into the restaurant.

Once they got a table, Regina glanced at the menu and her mouth watered. It had been so long since she had sushi and her body was ready for it. "Emma, this is my treat tonight, please order whatever you like."

"Are you sure?"

She reached over as she gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Yes. But, to be honest, I'm thinking of getting a sushi boat."

"What?!"

"Yes. It's been too long since I've had sushi and I intend on eating as much as I can." she chuckled.

"We could split it you know? Those things are big."

"Alright, lets do that." she smiled. The waiter arrived shortly after their agreement.

"Good evening ladies, my name is Jason. I'll be taking care of you this evening; what can I get for you?"

"We're going to order the small happy boat, an order of eggrolls and do you have Hakkasian sake?"

"Yes ma'am we do."

"And a bottle of that, and that will be all."

He nodded his head, slightly impressed, took their menus and walked away. Emma, on the other hand, sat gob smacked. "Did you seriously just order a bottle of sake?!"

"Go big or go home, right?" she chuckled. At that moment, Emma's face practically screamed, that's my woman! "It's not my favorite, but it pairs well with sushi." she smiled. "I would have ordered the most expensive, but I don't want to scare you off with trying to impress you too hard."

"Regina, you don't have to do that. You impress me just by being yourself. It doesn't take much to make me happy." a wide smile danced across her lips. The waiter returned with the bottle and two sake cups, letting them know their order would be out shortly and if they needed anything to let him know.

"I appreciate that more than you know, Emma." Regina poured the sake and handed Emma her cup. "To us."

"To us."

Their food arrived about fifteen minutes, and they already had a nice buzz going. They were a giggling mess as they gawked at the amount of food they were about to consume. Regina was practically drooling onto her plate. She picked out several pieces of sushi and sashimi rolls onto her plate along with two eggrolls. At the first bite, she realized it was yellowtail and moaned as she chewed. "That…is good."

"I told you!"

They managed to eat everything on the table. Both women were completely full. "I don't think I'm going to eat for a week." Emma said as she patted her full belly. "That was everything I wanted and more. Thank you Regina."

"Don't worry about it, dear. This is my way of thanking you. I would do so much more if we were back home so I can properly thank you for everything." she winked.

"Where's that damn waiter? We have to go." She asked looking around. "I need to get you in my bed, ASAP."

Once the waiter saw Emma, Regina just handed him her card. "One check."

"Yes ma'am."

Emma's eyes were full of admiration and lust. "Ooh, just wait until we get home. I'm gonna make you-"

"Have a wonderful evening ladies, thank you for dining with us."

As soon as Regina left a hefty tip and scribbled her name, Emma was heading out the door. Once Regina caught up to her, the blonde opened the car door for her before jumping in and speeding off. They were barley outside of Albuquerque when Regina placed her hand on Emma's thigh. "I don't know if I can wait two whole hours before you thank me."

"Well, you're just going to have to wait. I'm driving as fast as I can."

The brunette slid her hand on Emma's core and squeezed. She leaned over as she husked in her ear, "I think you can drive faster." The way Regina was all over her while she drove was too much, however, with her being that close to her, she did in fact speed up. "I'm so wet for you Emma." she took the closest hand, bringing it to her center. Emma's gasped when she realized she was not wearing any panties and how soaked she was. "Pull over."

"I-I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because we're not far enough outside of the city yet. There's no where to go." her breathing became labored as Regina massaged her core. "Oh, fuck."

"Pull over. Or I'm going to fuck myself and you won't be able to touch."

"What?!"

When Emma kept driving, Regina pulled back, leaning the car seat down. She pulled her dress up and began rubbing her needy cunt. "Mmm, I'm so wet for you Emma, and there's nothing you can do about it." she dipped two fingers in, pulling out thick essence. She popped the digits into her mouth, sucking and moaning. "Mmm, I taste so good. Too bad you can't have any."

"Holy fuck Regina, you're going to make me crash!"

"Then I'll die happy." She moaned louder as she began making circles.

It took Emma an entire 2.5 seconds before she swerved onto the side of the interstate. "Fuck it! Fuck the ticket. I'll show you who's in charge!" She unbuckled herself as she lunged on top of Regina, who was smirking ear to ear for getting exactly what she wanted. "Ooh, I'm gonna wipe that smug little smirk off your face." She plunged three fingers deep into Regina, screaming at the welcomed surprise. She kissed her with such passion it would make the devil blush. Regina grabbed a fist full of hair as Emma fucked her deeply.

"Yes Emma! Yes!" her orgasm rolled through her like never before. She had never had sex in a car before, let alone felt the need to. She could usually wait it out, but there was something about Emma that drove her wild. "I feel much better now." she hummed.

Suddenly, there were police lights shining behind them. Emma shook her head, "You've got to be fucking kidding me." A young policeman of twenty-one or so, knocked on the window, shining his light in the vehicle. His face instantly turned red, embarrassed of what he was seeing.

He cleared his throat before calmly saying, "I need you ladies to please get going now. I don't want to have to give you a ticket for common indecency."

"Yes sir!" Emma shouted.

"Have a good night." he walked away as quickly as possible, then drove off. "You are so in trouble when we get home.

"I can't wait."


	7. Chapter 7

As the summer passed, the two had become incredibly close. Emma was even finishing work early to spend more time with Regina. About two weeks after their sushi date, Regina officially moved into Emma's room. Not to mention it was way more comfortable than that brick slab they called a mattress. Regina had gotten used to the sound of the rooster waking her up in the morning and the silence at night. It was so different than New York, yet she found comfort in the small town. If it weren't for Emma, she more than likely refused the job when she got here.

Once a month, they would get together with David and Mary Margaret for dinner or go to Leroy's on the weekend. Regina could hardly stand David's wife for reasons unknown. She didn't know if it was the way she talked or how sickly sweet she was, but it was too much. David, on the other hand, was a complete charmer and gentleman. Emma was a lot like her older brother, just more urban than she realized. Even though she considered herself one of the good ole boys, underneath it all she was a curious soul who longed for experience. She would never admit it, but Regina noticed. You could call it intuition.

October rolled around quickly, which meant the chili festival was another week away. Emma was busier than ever; making sure she had enough chilis to sell, prepared salsa, spicy pepper flakes, and gathered all the ingredients she needed to make an actual chili. Emma had won three years in a row for her chili and certainly didn't want to lose her place. It was always a close call between her and the owner of a diner called Granny's. Beverly Lucas was her name, but everyone just called her Granny; she was the wildest old lady in town. Her granddaughter, Ruby was intending to take over her diner one day, so she always participated with her. She was also very protective of Ruby and constantly carried a shotgun around to ward off the local boys who tried to flirt with her granddaughter. Personally, Emma loved her. She told her many times that when she got older she wanted to be just like her, which Granny loved. But each time the chili festival came, they got extremly competitive.

As for Regina, Moore Cabins were coming along smoothly. So smoothly that the project would be done by mid November. This, made her boss incredibly pleased. He knew this project would take some time, but he didn't think it would be done so quickly. "Looks like you'll be back home just in time for Thanksgiving, dearie. Those contractors you hired sure work fast." he beamed. "Eger to come home?"

_No_ , she thought. _Return to what?_ She had nothing there other than her job. "You could say that." she lied. Of course she missed her things, the hustle and bustle of the city, sitting on her balcony drinking wine at the end of a long work day; watching the busy city from above. However, there was so much more. She had Emma now. Thinking of returning home so soon made her heart break little on the inside not knowing how she was going to break the news to Emma. She had been so happy, the happiest she had been in a long time. She didn't want to go, not without her. "They do work relentlessly. How's Julie doing with everything?"

Robert scoffed. "She's no you. I can't wait to have you back. She doesn't seal the deals as good as you."

Regina chuckled. "I do have a way with words."

"You and I make a great team." she felt his grin through the phone. "I'm honored to have you as my VP and employee."

"Thank you Gold, that means a lot coming from you."

"Don't worry Regina, you'll be home in a few weeks and everything will be as it should be. I'll call you in a few days to check in on the progress."

_Great._ After she hung up, she sighed heavily as she left the construction site to head back home…. _home_.

She walked into the kitchen where there was a hand written note with a rose on top. Regina picked it up and read:

_Baby, when you get home change into something more comfortable and meet me by the stables. I've got a surprise for you. :)_

_XOXO_

_Emma_

Not wanting to keep Emma any longer, she ran upstairs to change into a pair of skinny jeans and a plain maroon sweater. She raced back downstairs to meet Emma. She was standing next to her horse, which she had learned his name was Bullseye, with the biggest smile Regina had ever seen. "What are you doing?" her eyes raked the woman before her in those sexy jeans, boots with a green flannel shirt. There was something about her causality that drove her wild.

"I'm taking you horseback riding." when Regina's face went pale, she walked over placing a comforting kiss on her cheek. "Don't worry, all you have to do is hold onto me and let me do the rest." she hopped up onto Bullseye as she outstretched her hand. "C'mon Gina, don't tell me you're afraid of a lil ole horse are you?"

"Bullseye is no small horse in any way shape or form." she eyed the beautiful stallion before crossing her arms. "I am not afraid."

"Then let's go." Regina rolled her eyes before taking her hand as Emma helped her up. She instantly wrapped her arms around Emma tightly as she looked down to see how high up she was. "I would say hold on, but you're already doing that." she chuckled as she nicked the horses side clicking her teeth.

The horse started at a normal speed before Emma made him go faster. The wind through Regina's hair mixed with the pace just about made her nauseous. Yet, there was something thrilling about the ride that excited her and couldn't wait to do again on their way back.

About ten minutes later, they strode up to a large tree, the leaf's matching the beige desert. There was a large pond next to it surrounded by cactus'. The sun was starting to set and was in awe of how beautiful it was. Emma jumped down tying Bullseye to one of the long branches. She helped Regina down, grinning at her. "See, that wasn't so bad now was it?"

"What are we doing all the way out here?"

If she would have looked just a little further to the left right in front of the pond, she would have noticed the wicker basket with a red and white checkered table cloth. "I made us a picnic. I went to a friend of mine, Joe, who makes his own cured meats and cheese, so I purchased a few items and picked up some fruit and homemade mulled wine."

"Oh." Regina sighed. If she were a cartoon her eyes would have been made of hearts. "What kind do you have?" they walked over, sitting down on the cloth.

"I've got fresh goat cheese, gouda, salami and prosciutto. I've also got grapes and strawberries." she pulled each item out spreading them on a wooden cheese board. At the corner, there was a burned branded E.S. on it. "I actually made this when I was in high school. Pretty cool, huh?"

"It's beautiful, you really did this?"

"Yep! Sure did! It was actually kind of easy, but I'm not huge into woodwork. That was my dad's thing. David knows how to make tables, chairs, swings, just about anything really."

"Well, that's a neat skill to have. I know I could never do anything like this, so that's much better than anything I could ever do." she smiled.

"It's easy. I bet you could do it with the right teacher." they shared a smirk as they began nibbling on their food.

"This has to be the best charcuteire board I've ever had."

"A what now?"

"A charcuteire board."

"What in the world is that?"

"The correct way to say meat and cheese board." she giggled. "What did you think it was?"

"I don't know. It sounds like you said 'cutch your cootie.' I was very confused." Regina burst into a fit of laugher, causing Emma to do the same. Once the laughing faded, she stared at Regina for a long time before saying, "I've got something for you." she pulled a small rectangular box out of the basket. "I really hope you like this."

Regina took the small box from her, her expression perplexed. She opened the box and as she did, her mouth fell open. "Emma…"

"I don't know how you feel about charm bracelets, but I decided to have one made for you."

"I love it." she whispered, choking on holding back her tears. It was the most thoughtful gift she had ever received.

"See, it has a cactus, a car, a moon, a train and a cowboy hat…something to remember me by whenever you go back to New York." the way she said it so nonchalantly almost offended her, but she couldn't get mad. It just made her finally let out those tears. "Oh no! Baby don't cry! We've still got a few more months before you have to go back!" she pulled her into a comforting embrace. "And I promise I will come and visit at least once a month or every other month or vise versa. You can show me everything in the big city. I will do whatever it takes to make this work."

Regina just wanted to scream. She wanted to tell her that they didn't have five more months, only a few weeks, but she couldn't get the words out. Not with how she was holding her…not with the way she was assuring her that they would make things work. Instead of saying anything at all, she remained silent as she reviled in the feeling of her embrace. Emma kissed the top of her head as Regina slowly began to dry her tears. "This is the most beautiful gift I've ever received." She handed her the bracelet, which looked like she wasn't going to accept it. "Put it on me. I never want to take it off." Emma gave a sigh of relief, smiling as she gladly hooked the gold jeweled around her wrist. "I love it." she leaned forward, kissing her gently, not wanting to ruin the moment. "Wine?"

"I thought you'd never ask." she beamed. "This is the best stuff your taste buds will ever try…excluding me of course."

Regina blushed as she was handed the cider as they sipped their glasses until the sun finally set.

Once the chili festival arrived, everyone in town prepared booths and tables along side the road about five miles away. Regina was excited to try Emma's chili that she had been bragging about all week long. Regardless, she loved chili and was more than happy to sample all who had some.

Regina met Emma at her stall as she was finishing setting up the chili condiments. Cheese, sour cream, green onions, pepper flakes, onions and crackers. "There's my beautiful woman!" Emma beamed. "You got here just in time."

"Do you need any help?" she waltzed over giving her a tender kiss.

"I've got this babe. But, if you want a free sample from yours truly, you can."

Regina scoffed as she picked up a small styrofoam bowl, helping herself. "You don't have to tell me twice."

"But I will warn you, it may ruin your taste buds the rest of the festival. I've got the best you know." she grinned.

"I don't doubt it." she smirked before taking a bite. She closed her eyes, repressing a moan. "Please tell me why you didn't go to culinary school?"

Emma gave a hearty laugh. "It's red pepper flakes." she whispered. "That's my secret. It gives it the perfect kick. I make my own personal pepper flakes with my chili's, but don't tell anyone." Regina devoured one bowl then started to help herself to another. "Ah, ah, ah! You have to try everyone else's before you can have more. Don't forget to rate them either!" she chuckled when the brunette nearly pouted. "To be fair, there's only seven people who actually make chili. It's mainly a chili pepper festival. Granny even has a chili pepper contest to see how long you can go without milk or water."

Regina huffed. "Fine, but you better save me a bowl." she threw her bowl into the trashcan next to her. "Have you ever done the contest?"

"Oh yeah, lots of times. I have also won those. No one can beat me." she said proudly.

"We'll see about that. Compete against me?"

With wide eyes, she shook her head. "I don't think you can handle it. It's a habanero pepper that packs quite a punch."

"Too bad. I want to go against the town champion." she smirked. Little did Emma know, Regina had a deep love for spicy foods. In high school someone had dared her to take a bite of a ghost pepper and she ate the entire pepper, no problem. Now knowing it was a habanero, she knew it would be a cake walk. Before Emma had a chance to refuse, she walked away to another booth. "See you in ten minutes Miss. Swan."

It was true, everyone else who made chili that evening was garbage compared to Emma's. _I'm going to need to get my hands on those pepper flakes. I bet they would go great in my lasagna._ By the time she made it over to Granny's booth, the older lady seemed to be having a serious conversation with who she assumed was her granddaughter. When she finally saw Regina, she stood up quickly. "Ah, so you must be the famous Regina Mills everyone in this town is talking about. How have you been enjoying your stay?"

"It's been well, I can't complain." she smiled. "I heard you hold a chili pepper contest, so I've decided to go against the town champion, Emma Swan."

Granny let out a loud laugh as she clapped her hands together. "Oh girly, this is going to be good. If you beat Emma, you'll receive a gift basket full of my best selling items. Pepper jelly, spicy salsa, a bag of chips and a homemade bottle of hot sauce."

"That sounds wonderful." just as Emma strode up, Granny's face fell slightly before turning into a wicked grin.

"Well, look who finally made it over to my booth. It's about time."

"Hello granny, hello Ruby."

"Hi Emma!" Ruby smiled and waved.

"Sorry granny, I was tending to hungry guest. You know how it is."

"Yeah, well, I'm ready to see your ass lose today. I've got a good feelin about this one."

Emma shook her head. "This city girl? Please, she couldn't possibly beat me." grinning from ear to ear, glancing at Regina who was regarding her amusingly.

"You think so?"

Emma stepped into her personal space. She couldn't help herself, she loved a good competition. "I know so."

"Well, we'll see about that." Granny challenged as she brought out two of the tiniest habanero peppers Emma had ever seen. "You know the rules; a minimum of one bite. No water or milk for ten minutes. And this year, I cross contaminated them by accident. So let's see who the really winner will be today." Emma's eyes went black with fear. Could she handle spicy food? Absolutely, however, she had never crossbred them before. She shook it off immediately.

Each woman picked up the tiny pepper. Granny set the timer, and as soon as she did, Regina ate the entire pepper then plucked the stem onto the ground. Emma stood in shock as the brunette chewed. She quickly did the same; Emma Swan was no cop out. She never had to eat an entire pepper before today, but was starting to regret it not long after she swallowed it.

Granny let out an evil laugh as she noticed Emma start to sweat. "This is gonna be good!"

Regina stood there with her arms crossed with the most smug smirk on her face. She had to admit, the pepper was hotter than what she originally thought, but it wasn't as bad as Emma was making it out to be. "You know, dear, never underestimate someone from the city. We're full of surprises."

Emma was starting to get uncomfortable, starting to fan her mouth. "How are you not dying right now?" she strained. Only two minutes had passed and she was starting to drip with sweat, her mouth was on fire.

"Because, I love spicy foods. I can consume a large ball of wasabi whenever I eat sushi."

"Wha-what the hell…Jesus Christ…what the fuck is wasabi?!"

"The little green ball in the corner that sits next to the ginger."

Emma shook her head in confusion. "But wait, did we have that when we went to-"

"Yep. Had it with each roll, and you had no idea." Regina was starting to sweat, her mouth getting hotter by the minute, but nothing she couldn't handle.

"What the hell did you cross breed this pepper with?!" she asked as she bent over, clutching her knees.

"A ghost pepper." Granny stated matter of factly. "I was going to sell my ghost peppers but they were too hot so I cross bread them and they turned out beautifully."

Emma shook her head, sniffing her nose as it began to drip. She wanted to tap out, it was the hottest pepper she had ever eaten. At the five minute mark, both women were sweating, and when Regina just stood their smugly, Emma threw her hands in the air. "I can't!" she reached for the small bottle of milk and downed it like she hadn't drank in years.

The towns people that had gathered to watch cheered. Granny was far too pleased that Emma had finally lost this challenge. "Congratulations Regina! You finally put Emma to shame." she handed her, her basket of goodies, which made Emma stare blankly.

"Hey, you've never done that before!"

"Well, she's worthy of this prize." she looked over at Regina, leaning forward. "I used the peppers to make the hot sauce just so you know."

Regina smirked as she sipped her water, beaming that she had one. "Thank you Granny, I look forward to trying each item."

Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing. "We'll see who the true champion is once the ballots come back from the chili competition."

"Oh yes, I'd hate to see you lose twice in one night." she smirked. 

Angrily, Emma stormed off back to her stall to wait impatiently for the results.

An hour later, the owner of Leroy's Saloon made the announcements. He was a small but burly man with a black and grey beard. He handed out blue ribbons to all the were in the contest and best jellies, salsa, chili peppers and so forth. "And now, for the best chili. Winning by a landslide…for the fourth year in a row….Emma Swan!" The crowed cheered as Emma received a small gold trophy in the shape of a chili. She looked directly at Granny who was shooting daggers at the blonde.

Later that night, the two women sat at the table sipping water. "I can't believe you beat me." she said in awe. "No one has ever beaten me in that contest. I blame Beverly crossbreeding those peppers. If that wouldn't have happened I for sure would have won."

"Oh hush, you. I ate a ghost pepper for a dare once in high school and ate the entire pepper without any issues. Sure my face was red and I was soaked in sweat, but I didn't drink water for the rest of lunch. Needless to say, I gained quite a reputation."

"That's insane! You are crazy to have done that!"

"Exactly, that's what they all said. From then on out no one dared cross me. Apparently, eating a ghost pepper made me a bitch as well." she chuckled. "All I had to do to gain respect in school was look at someone wrong and they scattered like scared rats. It was kind of great."

"Ooh, let me see! I find that hard to believe." Regina composed herself, then gave the most chilling stare Emma had ever seen. Her eyes went stone cold, her expression ruthless, unamused. "Okay you can stop. That's scary shit right there."

Regina chuckled at her. "See, I told you."

"Is that how you look when you're really mad? Because I don't ever want to see that damn look again!"

"Oh yes, all the time. How do you think I'm such a good VP? The people who work under me are terrified of me. Not that I'm not nice to them, but if they don't do their job, I have no choice but to snap at them."

"That is something I would definitely not want to see."

"You don't have to worry about that. Even if I ever got that angry at you, there's no way I could stay mad."

Emma stood as she walked over to her, kissing her forehead tenderly. "Good. Come shower with me?"

"I'd love to."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourselves folks! Let me know what you're thinking of this story!

About two weeks later, Regina was having a phone conversation on speaker phone with her boss as she was trying to get ready. As her boss was ranting about Julia and how he could fire her right now for blowing a huge deal in Manhattan, she was laying out shirts for the day. She was trying to decide between a cream cashmere sweater or a purple blouse with a tan blazer. She was standing in jeans and a plain white bra. It wasn't until Gold yelled, "I can't wait for you to get back! Three more weeks and you can fix this mess!"

However, that was the worst time Emma could have walked in. She stood in the doorway as she stared at Regina in complete confusion. When Gold kept going on about Julia, Emma shook her head, turning to walk out. "Gold, I hate to cut this short, but I've got to go. I'll call you later." She hung up, grabbing the sweater bolting down the stairs. "Emma! Emma wait! I can explain."

"Explain what Regina?! How you lied to me?! That you're going back home in a few weeks? What is their possibly left to explain?!"

Regina stepped forward, but Emma took a step back. "This wasn't supposed to happen…those cabins weren't supposed to be finished this early. But the contractors here work day in and day out. Unlike most places where they take their time." Emma crossed her arms as she looked into Emma's eyes. They were full of hurt and anger. She took a deep breath. "This wasn't supposed to happen either." She pointed at the two of them. "I tried to keep my distance in the beginning but I, " she was going to say it. "I fell in love with you." Hot tears slowly began to fall down her cheek. Hearing those words from Regina's lips, caused Emma to inhale sharply. "I knew this was going to happen and I fought so hard to not let it happen, but it did." with a deep breath she stepped forward again, Emma frozen in place. "And this," she grabbed her hand placing it over her heart. "Is the best thing that's ever happened to me. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me." Emma glanced at her wrist, her bracelet, then into Regina's eyes. She could feel her eyes welting up with tears, trying to keep them at bay. She felt Regina's heart pounding in her chest so hard she could almost grab it. "It shouldn't have happened, but I wouldn't take it back for the world."

"You love me?" Emma whispered.

"Yes. More than I've ever loved anyone."

Emma removed her hand from her chest as her emotions ran wild. Not ever being in love since her professor, she breathed, "Then stay." she rested her head on Regina's forehead. "Please."

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, knowing she couldn't stay. "Emma…you know I can't do that."

Emma clenched her fist then turned around, slamming the door as she walked out the door. Regina leaned against the wall as she fell to the floor slowly, her emotions finally being released. She picked up her knees, burying her face in them, sobbing, not stopping until she had no tears left to cry.

Emma was gone the rest of the day, not returning home until 10pm. Regina was in bed, her old one, trying to keep herself collected. Thinking of how none of this was meant to happen. She was here on business and she royally fucked it up. Things like this never happened to her. She heard a soft knock on the door before it opened. "Regina?" She asked quietly. "Are you still awake?"

She slowly turned over, sitting up slightly. Emma walked over, sitting on the bed. Her eyes were swollen and puffy. "You smell like alcohol."

"I'm sober now, but I wasn't for a long time. That's why it took me so long to come back." she saw the pain in Regina's eyes and it killed her. "I'm going to take a shower, but I wanted to let you know I was home. You don't have to sleep in here, but I understand if you want to." She stood up slowly when Regina said nothing, leaving her alone to her peace.

While she was showering, all she could think about was how little time they had left. Emma didn't fall for people easily. She had only been in love once, but it never once felt like this. As soon as she laid eyes on Regina, she knew right away it wouldn’t end well. Throughout the months she fought so not to fall for her, because she knew she would be ready to get the hell out of dodge as soon as the year was over…but now? After they shared their first kiss, there was no turning back. Even when she tried so desperately to not think about it…then the night train incident. Dancing with her, it changed everything. "I have to tell her."

Once dried, she brushed her teeth, dressing herself in red underwear and a white muscle shirt. She walked into Regina's room, who had turned on a lamp, trying to read one of the books she brought with her. She walked over, taking the book out of her hands, placing it on the nightstand. She sat in her lap as she caressed her face. Her cheeks were tear stained and it pained Emma to see her this upset. "I love you Regina." she whispered. "I tried so hard not to, but it happened. I knew this was going to happen the moment I saw you." she exhaled deeply. "Things changed over the summer. Damned if I tried so hard to not even think about you when I was working, but it was so hard. The way you look, smile, laugh…the way you look at me as if I'm the only person in the world…I love you Regina. I don’t want to waste anymore time knowing there's so little left." She leaned forward, kissing her hard, filling the kiss with love and need. Regina placed her hands on her cheeks before moving her hands into her hair, pulling her closer. Emma removed Regina's shirt as she cupped her breast, kissing her neck. "I love you." she whispered in her ear. "So much Regina."

"I love you too, Emma." she whispered. She removed the blondes shirt, chests pressed together, eliciting a moan from both women. Regina turned them over, kissing down her body. Taking those rosebud nipples into her mouth she loved so much. Emma moaned at the sensation. Regina continued to kiss further south, removing her underwear. She didn't hesitate as she began eating her out tenderly. They had made love before, but it was never this passionate. She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her deeper into her mouth. Emma grabbed a fist full of hair, moaning loudly as she rolled her hips gently. Moaning into her core, she began shaking at the feeling. Regina reached up as she began rolling both her nipples between her fingers. The blonde arched her back, feeling completely intoxicated alone by her touch. As her orgasm came, Regina didn't let up until she shoved her away. She ran her thick tongue up her abdomen all the way up to her neck, nipping her earlobe. "Make love to me, Emma."

She turned her head, kissing her deeply. Her tongue entering her mouth as she cupped her cheek. Their tongues danced together in perfect harmony. Regina sat in Emma's lap as strong hands caressed the sides of her, grabbing her ass with a loving squeeze. She broke the kiss to look up at her before sliding her shorts off in slowly, finding out that she wasn't wearing any underwear. Regina sat back down on top of her, Emma sliding her hand down, entering her gently. She tossed her head back in relief. With her free hand, she cupped each of her full breast, running her thumbs over her dark sensitive nipples. "You're so beautiful." she whispered. Regina bit her lip as she smiled at the compliment. Emma entered another finger into her wet core, making her rock slightly into the feeling. She moaned as she leaned forward, kissing Emma passionately. This gave Emma room to thrust her fingers faster, making her moan in her mouth. A few more strokes, she was unraveling on top of Emma. Regina's orgasm filling the room, gripping long locks.

Once their love was made, they lay next to one another, Emma holding her in her arms. Regina fell asleep shortly after. Emma held her close that night as she whispered, "I love you." One more time before resting her head on her shoulder, drifting into deep sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Neal had a ribbon cutting event once the cabins became officially open. She was proud of how they turned out. They were luxurious yet rustic. Neal was more than trilled to also see they were booked solid until April. He had told Regina how much it meant to him that NIYAglobal thought of Lake Sumner and how grateful she has been and was welcome anytime. No one had ever been so appreciative before. Most people just said thank you and was done with it. However, most people were incredibly greedy and just wanted the profit.

When the time came for Regina to fly home, Gold booked her another first class ticket via JetBlue. Emma threw a going away party with David and Mary Margaret the night before. When she was readying her things, taking in the old house one last time, David had stopped by to bid her farewell. "We're sure are going to miss you around here. You've made this town a hell of a lot more interesting." he said as he hugged her. Emma hauled her suitcases in the trunk of her car once she finished packing. "I hope you come back to visit. You're more than welcome here."

"Thank you David. You and Emma have been more than welcoming. Whenever I have some time, I will certainly be back." she smiled.

"You ready, Regina?" Emma asked slightly out of breath. "We need to hit the road so you can make it through security. It can be a real pain in the ass."

She turned to David, hugging him one last time. "Goodbye David. Give Mary Margaret my regards."

"Will do."

They made their way out the house. Once David left, they backed out of the driveway making their way to the airport. Regina bit back tears the further away they drove from Storybrooke. The car ride was a quiet one. There was a building feeling that Regina couldn't shake that made her blood pressure rise. Each time she went to say something, she found no words to speak, so she just watched the farmlands turn into the city.

Once at the airport, she told Emma to wait a few minutes. She got out of the car and checked her bags. She had about an hour and a half before she needed to be at her gate, so she had time to say goodbye to Emma. After the bags were checked, she got back in the car, Emma looking distant and aloof. She leaned over and hugged Emma as tightly as she could. "I'm going to miss you so much." her voice cracking.

"I'm going to miss you too." Emma responded sadly. "It won't be the same without you." She pulled back getting one last look at the woman before her.

With that being said, it took all of two seconds before a lightbulb went off in her head. "Come with me."

"What?" the question nearly took her breath away.

Excitedly, talking fast. "Come with me! I can buy you a ticket so you can come home with me! You can stay with me and I'll help you find a job and-"

"Woah, woah, woah…Regina…I can't just up and leave." at that statement, Regina felt her heart break. "I have responsibilities here. I can't just…"

"Leave with me?" Emma nodded. With this answer, she got angry. She should have known she was going to say no, but she couldn't help being selfish. She always got what she wanted, but could she blame her? She had a job, a lot to do at that and she could understand that. Her job was the only reason that was making her go back. Not to mention, she had more of a family than she did. "But you expected me to stay?" she retorted bitterly.

"Regina…"

"No, I understand completely." she lied. "You actually have people who love you here…your family. I have no one." her eyes began to burn with tears, but blinked them away. "So, since I have no one, you just thought it would be better for me to move here."

"You'd have me. You will always have me?"

She scoffed. "No. I won't." she clenched her fist tightly. "I don't do long distance relationships, Emma. I love you and I want you to come with me."

"It doesn't work like that, Regina. It can't be all or nothing all the time. There has to be compromise." Emma felt her heart accelerate, terrified of what was to come next.

"I don't. Not anymore. Not since Danielle. I risked everything for her and I still wasn't enough."

"Do you think because I'm some poor rancher in the middle of bum fuck Egypt I can just runaway with you like a teenager? I can't Regina! I-I just can't! And if you're not willing to make this work long distance or meet me halfway, then it really is best that you just leave." She didn't mean to sound so bitter, but she was hurt. She knew that's what she was expecting. If she had more money in the bank, she wouldn't care, but her life depended on her here and she didn't want Regina's money or pity.

Her nose flared, eyes darkened and yelled, "Fine!" She pulled up her sleeve, unhooking the bracelet Emma had gotten her. "Keep this!" she threw it hard at Emma as she opened the door. She turned to her one last time, "I never want to see you ever again, Emma Swan!" She slammed the door with force as she stormed off into the airport. After she went though security and made it to her gate, she found the nearest bathroom and cried until it was time for her to board the plane.

Meanwhile, Emma sat in her car, staring at the bracelet she had given her. Finally, Emma began to cry. She punched her steering wheel so hard she thought she broke her hand. The pain throbbing in her fist was nothing compared to the pain she felt on the inside. She rested her head against the steering wheel just letting it all out, that is until airport security came around. The man saw her and felt terrible.

"I'm sorry to bother you ma'am, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I'm sure your boyfriend will come back soon. We see this all the time."

Emma turned to him with bloodshot eyes. "Fuck you." then drove off.

When Regina returned to her apartment that evening, she arrived the same way she arrived in New Mexico, hungover. Her apartment felt empty. Usually, when she returned, she couldn't wait to get home and be in her bed surrounded by her nice things. This time, it was different. She noticed a bouquet of flowers sitting on her glass table. She dropped the bags immediately, not even thinking clearly; thinking they were from Emma. She ripped the notecard off the holder, her face falling.

_Welcome home Ms. Mills! Call me once you return so I can unpack your bags for you!_

_-Belle_

Belle had been her maid for years. She lived in Brooklyn, which was about thirty minutes away from where she lived. She kept her place tidy when she was gone, minded her business and always organized her mail according to date. Of course she doesn't know where I live, what was I thinking? Not having the energy to call Bell, she texted her instead letting her know she was back, but letting her know she was tired and she didn't want to be bothered.

Instead of a response, Belle showed up an hour later getting straight to work. Regina, on the other hand, went into her closet to grab one of her large fur coats, grabbed one of her favorite Chardonnay's and headed to her balcony. She didn't even bother grabbing a glass, she popped the cork and drank straight out of the bottle. It was cold outside as the wind hit her face. Seeing the city lights, the taxi's honking their horns, she sighed. She was already getting a headache. She put the bottle to her lips and swallowed four large gulps. What used to be relaxing for her, was now loud and annoying. It was going to take some readjusting to get used to. She sank into her wicker chair, snuggling into the cushion, wrapping her coat around her tightly. She proceeded to drink the entire bottle, falling asleep on the balcony until Belle tapped her on the shoulder offering her to go inside and get to bed. _Bed,_ she thought. In her drunken state, she handed the bottle to her maid as she headed inside, collapsing onto her bed. She forgot how soft her bed was, falling asleep instantly.

As the weeks passed by, Regina was neck deep in work, fixing the mess Julia made. On her first day back at work, Gold threw her a welcoming back party. He also gifted her two awards; one for Employee of the Year and an Award of Excellence. Awards that don't easily get handed out or lightly. She placed them proudly in her office.

However, she was heartbroken on the inside and found it hard to focus on her work. All she could think of Emma and how much she missed her. One day she was walking from her apartment to the subway, she passed a performer who was playing a guitar with a cowboy hat on and she nearly broke down on the street. _I know this song_ , she thought. When she stopped to watch him, he turned to her and began to serenade her.

"Cause you're the one I want, you're the one I need

Baby, if I was a king, you would be my queen

You're the rock in my roll

You're good for my soul, it's true

I'm head over boots for you."

Her heart stopped, remembering the night Emma took her to Leroy's, forcing her to dance. The man smiled as he sang, tapping his boots to the beat. She reached into her purse and tipped him twenty bucks. He tipped his hat to her as she continued singing. When she made it to work, she ran straight to the bathroom to collect herself. She couldn't bare the embarrassment of her coworkers seeing her cry.

She deeply regretted giving her, her charm bracelet back. Her wrist felt naked without it. There were so many opportunities to call Emma and work things out, but each time she went to call or text, she remembered what she said when she left. She regretted that as well, but it was too late. The New Year was approaching and she hadn't heard anything from her. So she assumed she might as well start moving on. However, it still didn't stop her from crying herself to sleep at night.

For Christmas, NIYAglobal always threw a holiday party, and this year is was at the Loeb Boathouse in the middle of Central Park. Their Christmas parties were famously known within the company. Each year they would go somewhere different, but the food was always delicious and there was an open bar. Regina had spent the night talking to her coworkers about business deals and small chit chat about their plans for the next year. It was a good distraction for her, but she when she went home, she was alone, just as she had always been.

One Saturday evening, she was binge watching her favorite show, Reign, on Netflix. It was snowing outside and it was a perfect evening for a glass of Pinot Noir and hot pizza, when she heard a knock at the door. She sighed dramatically, placing her glass and plate on her coffee table. She was expecting Belle two hours ago, but whenever it snowed like this, it took longer for her to get to her apartment. "It's about time! The laundry isn't going to do itself!" She opened the door and her face went ghost white. It indeed was not Belle at all. Stood in front of her was none other than Emma Swan. She had a huge yellow duffle bag over one shoulder, wearing a black cowboy hat with a matching button up and boots. When she looked up when the door opened, Emma removed her hat.

"May I come in?" she asked gently. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter. I may write a second half to this, just not as long. Maybe. You'll have to let me know if it's worth it! I hope you all enjoyed this little story.

"How did you find me?" Regina asked disbelievingly.

"This might sound kind of stalkerish, but I tracked your phone." she scoffed. "May I please come in? There's a lot I need to talk to you about."

Regina wanted to tell her no, to go back to Storybrooke. Yet, when she looked into her eyes, that pull they've always shared came back ten fold. Regina nodded, stepping aside letting her in.

Emma looked around at her apartment and whistled. "I see why you wanted to come back. This the fanciest place I've ever stepped foot in."

"What do you want to tell me, Emma? It's been almost two months." she crossed her arms as she met her in the living room. "Why now?"

Emma sighed, as she sat down on her expensive couch. "Please, sit with me. It's a long story." As soon as she sat beside her, she became an open book.

_2 months earlier_

_For two weeks, Emma was a drunken mess. From dusk to dawn, she was belligerent. She was barley getting any work done around the farm, so much so she had to call her brother to come help her. When he arrived, he dragged her into the house._

_"What is wrong with you? Ever since Regina left you've become a raging alcoholic."_

_"Well, you would too if the woman you loved screamed at you that she never wanted to see you again."_

_"Wait…you love her?"_

_"Loved." she scoffed. "I should have known better." she placed her face in her hands and began to sob. "I'm so stupid. This is why I'm alone David! Whenever I fall in love it bites me in the ass. I knew she was only going to be here for a certain amount of time and I fell for her anyway."_

_Her brother stepped forward, placing his hands around her arms tightly. "Hey! Pull yourself together!" he yelled. "Anyone who has eyes could see that Regina had feelings for you. Did you even talk to her about y'alls relationship?"_

_"She doesn't do long distant relationships, is what she told me. I asked her to stay, and in return she asked me to leave with her."_

_"And why didn't you?" he asked as if it were even a question. "You should have gone after her!"_

_"David, I can't. I've got a life here."_

_"Doing what?! Drinking yourself to death?" Emma furrowed her brows at this. She was not into his tone with her; he never got mad, and if he did, it was never at her. He pointed his finger in her face. "Now you listen to me, if you loved her like you say you do, you go after her. You don't just let a woman like that go! When she was here, I had never seen you so happy. So you fix it."_

_"Who the fuck do you think you are?!" she screamed. "You think you can just come into my house and tell me what to do?! Try again big bro, not gonna happen."_

_David was getting angrier by the second. He knew his sister was stubborn, but she couldn't be this damn stubborn. "Don't you talk to me that way!"_

_"David! I couldn't leave! I have you, the farm, the house…I have a life here!"_

_"You had a life in college!" he screamed. "You never wanted this! You told me a long time ago that you wanted to travel the world. Become a world renounced chef, or something like that…and now you're wasting your time doing what you're good at. You settled and you know it."_

_"Shut up, David." she gritted thought her teeth, her drunkenness lifting with each labored breath. "Nobody asked for your opinion. I know I didn't. You think because you're older than me, you think you can get away with whatever you want. You're just as bad as dad! Trying to control me and my life!" tears rolled down her face._

_For the first time since they were kids, he walked right up and hit his sister smack dab in the face. She held her cheek for a few seconds before hitting him back. They wrestled for a few minutes before David had her in a headlock until she calmed down. "Emma," he said breathlessly. "I love you, but I would survive if you left. I've done it before."_

_"Yeah, but mom and dad were still alive."_

_"I have Mary Margaret. We want to start a family soon, so no. I won't be alone. I am happy."_

_Emma began sobbing in her brother's arms. "I have the farm, David. This is my life. Even if I wanted to go to New York, someone would need to take care of it."_

_"I'll do it."_

_Emma sat up, turning in utter shock. "What?"_

_"I will take care of this place. If you go after her and things work out, I'll stay here and take care of everything. If it doesn't, you will still have a home to look forward to."_

_"But…you're the sheriff. How are you gonna-"_

_"I've been meaning to give Deputy Graham a raise. He would be more than happy to take over for me."_

_Emma shook her head. "But how am I gonna find her? How am I even going to get there? I don't have enough money saved up."_

_"Well, I can think of three options." the way he said it didn't make Emma feel comfortable. "Fist off, I think Ruby is good at tech type of things. I'm sure she could help you figure that out. I also still have Regina's boss' number so I could get into contact with him, but I doubt he would give me that information."_

_"Okay, I'll talk to Ruby. I know she's been reading up on the tech industry because when Granny gives her the diner, she's going to remodel and update everything. And how would I get there?"_

_"You could, A, drive. B, sell your car for a one way ticket. Or C, I give you the money and you pay me back."_

_Emma shook her head. She definitely didn't like any of those options. "Even if you paid for me, you would be struggling and I would need to get a job stat."_

_David shook his head with a scoff. "I wouldn't be struggling. You forget I have a working wife, she's a teacher remember. We would have income."_

_"I can't let you do that David. Especially if you want to start a family."_

_"So, what are you going to do?"_

_Emma sighed dramatically. "I'm going to sell the Caddy. I should get at least three grand for it, which would pay for the plane ticket and to get around."_

_"Then it's settled. I'll take you first thing in the morning." he snapped his fingers quickly. "Or wait! Leroy has been saying he'd pay out the nose for your car. He's been saying it since Dad was alive."_

_"Really? Leroy? How much are we talking here?"_

_"He told me years ago he'd pay whatever the asking price was, as long as it was under ten grand."_

_"Well," she sighed, standing up slowly. Her head was pounding. "Let's go talk to him." she rubber her cheek softly. "Damn you hit hard."_

_"You pack quite the punch yourself." he laughed. "But don't ever compare me to dad ever again."_

_"Yeah, sorry about that. Forgive me?"_

_"Sure, but only if you forgive me?"_

_"Always big bro, always."_

_Leroy gave Emma twice the asking price, which was six thousand. That was more than enough for everything she needed. As soon as she got home, she booked the first cheapest flight out of Albuquerque, which unfortunately wasn't until after Christmas. It irked her that she couldn't just jump on the first flight out of town…well, could but she had other plans in mind._

_In the meantime, she researched colleges to start the following year. After hours of searching, she found the perfect school. She found an affordable culinary program that lasted four years. The Chef Apprentice School of the Arts, better known as CASA. The monthly payment was affordable enough to manage, but she would still need to get a job once she moved…that is, if her and Regina reconciled. She shook her head in annoyance. God, I hope this works, she thought. However, she needed to set up a phone interview or request information so she could start the process of transferring her previous college credentials. When she told David about the college, he immediately told her to go._

_By the time Christmas came, she packed the clothes she owned into her biggest suitcase, which was a massive duffle bag that her father owned when he served in World War II. David agreed to drive her to the airport the following day._

_She met Ruby later that evening at the diner. When she spilled her life story, Ruby gave her the biggest hug and called her romantic. "Okay, so look. All you have to do is check if her location is turned on. Does she have social media of any kind?"_

_"I don't know. I never bother with that stuff. I have Instagram but I haven't used it in ages."_

_"Okay that's perfect! Let's look her up. Sometimes on apps these days, it show your location." When they searched for her, Emma's heart stopped when she saw a professional picture of Regina's face as her profile. "She does! Fingers crossed it's public." They clicked on her profile and it was indeed public. "Call it fate girl! Okay, let's see. Oh! She just posed a picture a few days ago." When she clicked on it, it had Puck Building over a picture of a white wine glass sitting on a glass table. When they clicked the location, it popped up and screen shot the address. "I feel like such a detective right now."_

_"You are a genius!"_

_Once Emma arrived in New York, you could say she stuck out like a sore thumb. People stopped and stared at how she was dressed. Some even laughed and took pictures. However, she was thrilled to be in the big apple. She hopped into a cab, giving him the address. As soon as the door shut, he immediately asked, "You're not from around here are you?" Emma chose to give a simple no, stating that it was her first time. The cab driver insisted he would love it._

_It was interesting to see snow. Sure it got cold in New Mexico, but it hardly ever snowed. She looked out the window with awe, gazing upon the busiest city she had ever laid eyes on._

_As the driver pulled to the side of the apartment building, Emma tipped him then got out of the car. Eager to get inside from the cold, she ran inside. I wish I could have worn a jacket, she thought. She stepped up to a white marble desk, a concierge quickly asked, "Are you lost ma'am? Is there something I can assist you with?" she repressed laughing at the woman before her. Besides, it's not everyday a woman with a cowboy hat on walked into a place like this._

_"Yes ma'am, actually you can." The woman did chuckle a little._

_"You're accent, is kind of funny. Where are you from?"_

_"I'm from out west. Just visiting. I was wondering if you could tell me where Regina Mills' apartment is?"_

_Her eyes widened as her smile quickly faded. "Oh, I apologize. A guest of Ms. Mills is a guest of ours! She owns the penthouse on the top floor. You'll need a key to enter." She waved over a manager to assist her. "May I have your name, please?"_

_"Emma Swan."_

_"Stacy, this is Miss. Swan. She is visiting Miss. Mills, can you assist her to the elevators?"_

_"Certainly. Right this way ma'am."_

"And here I am." she stated with a huff.

"So, let me get this straight. You sold your car to buy a one way plane ticket here, enrolled in culinary school and left David the house?" she breathed, Emma nodding quietly. Regina's eyebrows rose with shocked. "Wow…I'm surprised." when Emma continued not to say anything, she continued. "I can't believe David actually hit you! That seems so unlike him!"

"Well, I did piss him off pretty bad. David and dad…well…he always told him he would never amount to anything and he was a lousy excuse for a son. Not to mention, he didn't treat me so well either. Especially after I came out." she steadied her breath as she continued. "He told me he didn't want a faggot as a daughter and I disgusted him. My mother was understanding and told me she would love me no matter what, but what dad said, went. But, it worked out perfectly because I had just moved into my dorm. Then, when I came back to take care of mom, he had completely forgotten that part of myself. It was so difficult lying about that part of me, but I didn't want to risk coming out all over again…especially not knowing how much time I had left with him."

"Oh, Emma." she pulled her into a sentimental hug. "I'm sorry you and David fought. Then bringing up old wounds on top of that." she pulled back as she glanced down pausing momentary, Regina finally asked, "Why didn't you just call? Or text me?"

"Because…you said you never wanted to see me again. I didn't want to risk the heartbreak all over again. I just…I couldn't." sighing dramatically, she countered, "Why didn't you reach out?"

"Each time I wanted to send a text or call you, I just kept remembering what I said." she sighed sadly. "I don't know how to love very well, Emma. Relationships don't come easy for me. Not to mention, I was beyond busy at work. I had to mile high piles of paper work, business meetings and over time." there was a long pause. "When I got back, Gold gave me two awards. One for Employee of the Year and an Award of Excellence…it's something I've dreamed about for years…yet I didn't feel as happy as I thought I would" she placed her hand over Emma's, instantly feeling that spark that never went away. Her heart began to race as she gave it a small squeeze. "I wasn't happy because, I wanted you…then as the time passed, I realized I didn't just want you anymore." with a deep breath she said, "I realized I needed you."

Emma leaned forward, pulling her into another embrace, but this time it was longer. "I need you too, Regina." there was a long pause, yet they didn't let go of one another. "I've missed the way you smell." she whispered. They pulled apart, gazing deeply into each other's eyes. "Can we-are we going to work things out?"

"I would love nothing more. That is, only if you want to."

Emma shook her head, smirking for the first time in what seemed like years. "Regina my dear, do you really think I would just pack my life, apply to college and leave everything I know near and dear for just anyone?"

For the first time in almost two months, she genuinely smiled. Without hesitation, she grasped Emma's face, pulling her into a loving kiss. The blonde wrapped her arms around her, reveling in the feeling. "I've missed you so much." Regina breathed. "I love you."

"Please…please don't leave me again." she whispered. "I don't think I could handle it."

"I don't think I could bear not being in each other's lives ever again. Can you forgive me for being so cruel?"

"Only if you accept this?" She reached in her back pocket, pulling out a golden charm bracelet.

Regina gasped. "My bracelet!" she rolled up her sleeve, giving her, her wrist immediately. "My wrist has felt so naked without it."

"Do you, Regina Mills, take this charm bracelet as a token of my gratitude and promise to be with me through thick and thin?" she smirked, changing the marriage vows.

"Always!" she leaned forward, pressing her lips onto hers as they smiled into the kiss.

**6 months later**

You could say Emma and Regina picked up where they left off. Consistently busy. For the first three weeks, whenever Regina returned from the office, they made passionate love for hours on end. They would have sex anywhere and everywhere in the hose. There was one particular evening when Emma got home after her first week, with Regina was propped onto the kitchen island wearing a black laced lingerie with her hair tousled, perfectly red lipstick and her fur coat. The sight alone nearly made her pass out. She crooked her finger in a come hither moment, which she with unprecedented speed. Regina pulled her forward with her legs, husking, "You're so sexy in this. But, I prefer you naked." The making up was the best part of moving on for them; forgiving and forgetting the hurt they inflicted onto each other. It was also a good thing it was winter because, Regina needed to wear a lot of scarf's to work.

In their spare time, Regina took Emma all over New York. She showed her the best restaurants, the best views, and even took a weekend trip to upstate New York. When Emma Googled Cabins, there was a place called Finger Lakes, which she just could not, not go. When she told Regina the name of place, she rolled her eyes. "You're no better than a teenage boy."

"I know, but you love me."

"That I do, dear. That I do."

They would sometimes argue about finances, which was to be expected. They were both stubborn women, who felt like their way of thinking was the right way of thinking. Emma wanted to work to pay for the rest of culinary school, but finding a decent job was no easy task. When the money from her Cadillac ran out, Regina paid for the rest. Which infuriated Emma to no end. Mainly because she didn't want to think she was using her for money, but Regina knew that. She knew even if she were about to lose everything, she would never ask. She would often break down apologizing for feeling like she was mooching off her. Regina reassured her that she would never try to buy her love and affection. She did it because she loved her. If it were anyone else, she would have never done anything like this for anyone. However, she helped Emma find a job as a line chef at a farm to table restaurant in Greenwich Village called Blue Hill. It was only part time, but it was something for her to feel good about herself as well as getting her foot in the door in the culinary industry. Managing college and work was a hassle for a while, but she managed. 

Emma and David talked once a week for at least two hours. When she found out she was going to be an aunt, she booked a round trip ticket home for a week. It was rough to take off work and school at the same time, but she missed her family and wanted to see them more than anything. Regina wanted to see David as well, so she upgraded their flights to first class. Which, for Emma, was the best thing she had ever experienced. They agreed to take turns visiting each other during the holidays when they arrived. Regina thanked David for being such a good brother, but also warned her to never lay a finger on her again or she would end him. He chuckled whenever she told him this, but agreed nonetheless. 

Regina and Emma borrowed David's truck to watch the night train on night, which brought back a whole lot of memories from that night nearly a year ago. When they came back later that early morning. David threw his hands in the air. "Please don't tell me you two had sex in my truck?!"

"Oh no, we wouldn't dare." Emma smirked. "I can't say so much for the outside though."

"FOR CHRIST SAKE!" he yelled. "NOW I'VE GOT TO GO BUY ANOTHER TRUCK!" he stormed out of the house as the two snickered up the stairs to finally get some rest.

By the time the week was over, both women were more than ready to leave. Emma had gotten used to constantly being involved in the outside world, she couldn't wait for a good wi-fi signal again. She even kept up with her Instagram! Regardless of moving, Storybrooke was apart of her and who she was. She saved her cowboy hat strictly for Regina whenever she wanted to rile her up. The look of utter lust in her eyes whenever she wore it only made her want to wear it in private more and more. 

Once they were back in New York, they sighed blissfully as they plopped onto the couch. "Ah, home sweet home." Emma said. 

Regina rest her head on her shoulder, intertwining their fingers together. "Home, wouldn't be home without you in it."

She smiled widely, kissing the top of her forehead. "It sure wouldn't m'dear. It sure wouldn't."


End file.
